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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · perch · object · file · fall · racket · saw · spell

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. file — a tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fall — to drop
  10. file — a line of people
  11. object — to protest
  12. file — a document
  13. spell — magic
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. fall — the season
  16. spell — letters
  17. object — an aim
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. object — a thing
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fall — to drop
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bowl — to roll

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