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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. drill — the tool
  3. suit — to fit
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. file — a line of people
  6. perch — the fish
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bark — to shout
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. lean — to bend
  16. drill — army training
  17. file — a tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lean — thin
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. file — a document

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