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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cap — a lid
  3. file — a tool
  4. perch — the fish
  5. swing — in golf
  6. spell — letters
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. swing — to play on
  9. file — a document
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. swing — music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. file — a line of people
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rush — hurry
  19. spell — magic
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cap — of ice
  22. spell — a short time
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. cap — a hat

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