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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. lean — thin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. perch — the fish
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cell — in biology
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. file — a tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kid — child
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. lean — to bend

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