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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
Word bank
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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fall — the season
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fall — to drop
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. file — a tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. chair — a leader
  24. file — a document

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