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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. file — a tool
  4. perch — the fish
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. row — to paddle
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. row — a line
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. file — a document
  21. lean — to bend
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. lean — thin
  24. file — a line of people

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