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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 120 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: hand · wound · bore · saw · bay · wake · pit · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. hand — in cards
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wake — a trail
  16. hand — help
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pit — in a race
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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