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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. perch — the fish
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cap — of ice
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. file — a document
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bound — certain
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cap — a lid
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bound — tied together
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. cap — a hat
  21. deal — to handle
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bound — obliged
  24. file — a tool

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