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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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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: rest · race · bore · toast · saw · perch · bowl · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — bread
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rest — what's left
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rest — a break
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bore — to tire
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. rest — what's left
  24. race — a contest

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