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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
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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. file — a line of people
  3. perch — the fish
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. object — an aim
  6. mate — a friend
  7. snap — to click
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. object — a thing
  12. fall — the season
  13. object — to protest
  14. rash — a series
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mate — a partner
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rash — hasty
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mate — to breed

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