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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. press — newspapers
  5. file — a document
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fall — the season
  13. pound — a weight
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. file — a line of people
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bark — to shout
  22. foot — a measure
  23. cap — of ice
  24. file — a tool

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