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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. net — in sport
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. file — a document
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wound — an injury
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. perch — the fish
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. net — after costs
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wound — an injury
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. net — for catching
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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