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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wind — moving air
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wind — moving air
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. file — a tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. plane — 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