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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: pop · snap · bore · perch · spring · pit · ball · lie

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pop — music
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. snap — to click
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bore — to tire
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lie — to recline
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pop — soda
  17. pit — a hole
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. perch — the fish
  24. spring — a coil

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