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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.

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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: perch · chair · pass · rule · lie · track · file · stem

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. rule — government
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rule — a law
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pass — a permit
  17. file — a line of people
  18. perch — the fish
  19. track — a path
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. track — a song

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