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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. firm — decided
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rash — a series
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bass — low music
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. ground — a position
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ground — crushed
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bass — the fish
  24. perch — the fish

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