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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: club · march · object · perch · bore · mine · lie · leaves

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. club — for dancing
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. lie — to recline
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — for golf
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. object — an aim
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — a thing
  14. club — a group
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bore — to tire
  18. march — the month
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bore — to drill
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lie — an untruth

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