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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.

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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bark — to shout
  5. shower — rain
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. perch — the fish
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. file — a tool
  10. lean — thin
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. file — a document
  14. shower — to wash
  15. scale — size or range
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. scale — in music
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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