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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · roll · pop · mine · drill · rock · perch · leaves

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — a list
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rock — a stone
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rock — music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pop — music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. drill — army training
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com