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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 116 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. saw — the tool
  3. craft — boats
  4. file — a document
  5. field — farmland
  6. file — a line of people
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. file — a tool
  9. field — for sport
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. field — a subject
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. craft — a skill
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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