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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. lie — to recline
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. vault — a safe
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. file — a document

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