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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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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. lean — to bend
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bound — tied together
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bound — certain
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ball — a great time
  9. lean — thin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. ball — a dance
  14. file — a document
  15. drill — army training
  16. bound — obliged
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. file — a tool
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. stand — on your feet

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