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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. kid — child
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pop — music
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. file — a tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. file — a document
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bass — low music
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. kid — to tease

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