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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.

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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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. prune — to trim
  6. sharp — clever
  7. file — a tool
  8. board — a committee
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wound — an injury
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. board — to get on
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bass — the fish
  22. perch — the fish
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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