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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. current — happening now
  4. file — a document
  5. current — of water
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bat — the animal
  9. current — electric
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. vault — a safe
  20. lie — to recline
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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