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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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. file — a tool
  4. club — for golf
  5. bear — the animal
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. club — a group
  8. wax — to grow
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. squash — the sport
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. squash — to crush
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. club — for dancing
  24. file — a document

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