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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: rock · bore · pit · wind · lie · perch · mouse · fan

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rock — music
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wind — to turn a key

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