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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 116 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: object · saw · bore · pound · lie · last · perch · hide

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. object — an aim
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. saw — the tool
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bore — to drill
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. object — a thing
  14. last — finally
  15. bore — to tire
  16. last — to go on
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. last — final
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pound — a weight
  23. object — to protest
  24. hide — to keep secret

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