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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. lie — to recline
  3. capital — money
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. file — a document
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lean — thin
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rash — hasty
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lean — to rest against

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