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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. current — electric
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lean — thin
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. snap — to click
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. current — happening now
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. perch — the fish
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cue — a hint
  20. current — of water
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lean — to bend
  23. file — a tool
  24. cue — a signal

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