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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. scale — size or range
  3. row — to paddle
  4. net — after costs
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. file — a document
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. net — in sport
  11. cue — a hint
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. net — for catching
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cue — a signal
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. face — part of the head
  19. file — a tool
  20. cue — for pool
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. file — a line of people
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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