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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. cap — of ice
  5. file — a document
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rock — music
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mug — a face
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. file — a tool
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mug — to rob
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lean — thin
  24. perch — for a bird

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