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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. file — a tool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rush — hurry
  7. file — a document
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. game — wild animals
  10. field — farmland
  11. perch — the fish
  12. vault — a safe
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. game — a match
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. field — for sport
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. field — a subject
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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