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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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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: bowl · wake · lie · perch · rush · saw · calf · bore

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. rush — hurry
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bore — to drill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. perch — the fish
  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