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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.

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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. tear — to rip
  4. file — a document
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. band — a music group
  7. file — a tool
  8. firm — decided
  9. perch — the fish
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. band — a ring
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. firm — steady
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. can — a tin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cell — a phone
  24. firm — a company

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