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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. perch — the fish
  3. object — to protest
  4. file — a line of people
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. swing — music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. swing — in golf
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. object — a thing
  11. fine — high quality
  12. file — a tool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kick — in football
  16. object — an aim
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. swing — to play on
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. file — a document
  24. perch — for a bird

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