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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pop — soda
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fall — the season
  10. object — an aim
  11. pop — to visit
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pop — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. object — to protest
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. dip — to sink
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. object — a thing

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