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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. cue — a hint
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rush — hurry
  11. file — a document
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cell — in biology
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. cell — a phone
  19. file — a tool
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bat — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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