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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. file — a document
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bat — the animal
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rule — government
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. file — a tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rule — a law

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