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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. file — a line of people
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. press — to push
  5. perch — the fish
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. file — a tool
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. press — newspapers
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. file — a document
  13. drill — the tool
  14. kick — in football
  15. press — a publisher
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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