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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.

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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. file — a document
  5. rest — a break
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rest — what's left
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. file — a tool
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. file — a line of people
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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