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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: perch · leaves · spring · foot · march · fine · chest · bore

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. fine — all right
  3. march — the month
  4. bore — to drill
  5. perch — the fish
  6. spring — a coil
  7. chest — a box
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bore — to tire
  10. march — music
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fine — high quality
  15. spring — the season
  16. march — the month
  17. spring — of water
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. chest — of your body
  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