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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 120 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
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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: season · wake · bear · perch · drill · file · mouse · fork

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. drill — a practice
  7. season — in sport
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bear — the animal
  20. drill — army training
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. drill — the tool

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