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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. face — to confront
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. perch — the fish
  11. file — a document
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. face — to point toward
  14. branch — a division
  15. season — of the year
  16. face — part of the head
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. file — a tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. swing — to play on
  22. wake — a trail
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. branch — of a bank

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