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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. perch — the fish
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. key — the most important part
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. key — in music
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pop — music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rest — what's left
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. file — a document
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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