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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. file — a tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. file — a line of people
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tear — to rip
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. file — a document
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spell — a short time
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spell — magic
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. spell — letters
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tear — from crying
  24. arm — part of the body

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