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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. can — a tin
  4. perch — the fish
  5. chair — a leader
  6. can — a tin
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. file — a document
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. saw — the tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rest — a break
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. file — a line of people
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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