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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. court — for sport
  5. file — a tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. court — of a king
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pass — a permit
  11. tube — a container
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. court — of law
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. file — a line of people
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wave — with your hand

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