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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. cap — a hat
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lean — thin
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. perch — the fish
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pass — a permit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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