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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: file · stick · perch · foot · lean · band · arm · date

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. file — a document
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. file — a line of people
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. file — a tool
  7. band — a ring
  8. lean — thin
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. band — a music group
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. date — the fruit
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lean — to bend
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a rubber band

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