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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: fall · hide · perch · file · deal · leaves · march · root

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fall — the season
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. root — the cause
  7. march — the month
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. march — music
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fall — to drop
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. deal — to handle
  18. march — the month
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. root — of a word
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. root — of a plant
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hide — to keep secret

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