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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 120 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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. firm — a company
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bound — tied together
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fall — to drop
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. firm — decided
  12. scale — in music
  13. bound — certain
  14. rock — a stone
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. firm — steady
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fall — the season
  23. file — a document
  24. rock — music

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