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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.

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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 · lean · file · bear · lash · stick · suit · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. suit — in cards
  6. present — the time now
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bear — the animal
  9. suit — to fit
  10. perch — the fish
  11. present — a gift
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. suit — clothes
  16. lean — to bend
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lean — thin
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. file — a document

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