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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. lean — to bend
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lean — thin
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. club — for golf
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hand — in cards
  10. club — for dancing
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. spell — magic
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. spell — letters
  16. file — a document
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. club — a group
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. spell — a short time
  22. perch — the fish
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. hand — help

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