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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. file — a line of people
  4. root — the cause
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. root — of a plant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. root — of a word
  11. present — the time now
  12. clip — for paper
  13. present — there
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wake — a trail
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. clip — to cut
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. file — a tool
  21. clip — a video
  22. present — a gift
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. leaves — of a tree

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