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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: rush · drill · bore · mate · bat · perch · fine · row

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mate — a partner
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mate — a friend
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fine — all right
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. row — a line
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. drill — a practice

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