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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. foot — a measure
  5. file — a tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. prune — to trim
  12. file — a document
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. perch — the fish
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. file — a line of people

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