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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. file — a document
  3. rash — hasty
  4. root — of a word
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. root — the cause
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rash — a series
  15. roll — a list
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. perch — the fish
  24. file — a tool

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