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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bound — certain
  5. march — the month
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. march — music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. march — the month
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. file — a tool
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bound — obliged
  23. perch — the fish
  24. plane — an aircraft

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