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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wind — moving air
  3. file — a document
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. key — in music
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. key — for a lock
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wind — moving air
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. perch — the fish
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. drill — a practice
  20. file — a tool
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. key — the most important part
  24. temple — a place of worship

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