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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. tube — the underground
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pop — soda
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pop — music
  17. file — a tool
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. perch — the fish
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. file — a document
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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