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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. track — a song
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. track — a path
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. content — happy
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. track — to keep track
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. content — the amount
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. file — a tool
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lean — to bend
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — thin
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. file — a line of people

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