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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. file — a line of people
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. file — a document
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rash — a series
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mate — to breed
  12. kick — in football
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mate — a friend
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. file — a tool
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. kick — with a leg

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