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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. file — a document
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. suit — clothes
  9. file — a line of people
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. land — to come down
  14. toast — bread
  15. suit — to fit
  16. land — ground
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bear — the animal
  22. file — a tool
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. land — a country

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