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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: bore · safe · drill · bulb · perch · clip · pitch · rest

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. rest — a break
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bulb — for light
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rest — what's left
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — for paper
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pitch — completely

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