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

Word bank: perch · row · can · lean · pass · file · wind · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. can — a tin
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cap — a lid
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wind — moving air
  10. file — a line of people
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. row — a line
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. file — a tool
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lean — thin
  22. file — a document
  23. can — a tin
  24. lean — to bend

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