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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. file — a line of people
  3. swing — music
  4. current — happening now
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bound — obliged
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. spell — letters
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. spell — a short time
  14. current — electric
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bound — certain
  17. current — of water
  18. swing — to play on
  19. file — a document
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. spell — magic
  22. file — a tool
  23. bound — tied together
  24. perch — for a bird

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