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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. lie — to recline
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rest — a break
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. court — for sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. court — of a king
  19. tear — to rip
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rest — what's left
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. court — of law

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