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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. plane — a tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bear — the animal
  5. clip — to cut
  6. file — a document
  7. clip — a video
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bear — the animal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. clip — for paper
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pop — music
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. pop — to visit
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pop — soda
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bear — to put up with
  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