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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · perch · saw · leaves · stick · bat · hand · mug

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. file — a document
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mug — a face
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bat — the animal
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hand — help
  21. mug — to rob
  22. file — a tool
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. saw — the tool

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