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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. file — a tool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bore — to drill
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. sharp — clever
  16. file — a line of people
  17. cold — not warm
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bore — to tire
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cold — the Cold War

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