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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.

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

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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: bore · perch · board · chair · snap · last · cap · bark

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. last — to go on
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bore — to tire
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bore — to drill
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. last — final
  15. snap — to click
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cap — of ice
  19. board — to get on
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. board — a committee
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cap — a lid
  24. last — finally

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