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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. lean — thin
  3. file — a document
  4. club — a group
  5. file — a tool
  6. scale — size or range
  7. lean — to bend
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. scale — in music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. file — a line of people
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. club — for golf

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