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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. spell — letters
  3. file — a document
  4. spell — magic
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. file — a tool
  8. present — there
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chip — for betting
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. current — happening now
  14. wind — moving air
  15. present — the time now
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. present — a gift
  19. spell — a short time
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. perch — the fish
  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