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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.

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 · can · game · leaves · tube · saw · spell · bore

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. spell — a short time
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. saw — the tool
  5. perch — the fish
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. tube — the underground
  8. can — a tin
  9. bore — to tire
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. game — wild animals
  12. tube — a container
  13. bore — to drill
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. game — a match
  19. can — a tin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. saw — the tool
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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