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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 116 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: hide · cap · stick · cue · march · perch · file · ruler

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cue — for pool
  3. file — a document
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. march — the month
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cue — a hint
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cap — of ice
  13. march — the month
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cap — a hat
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. march — music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cue — a signal
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a 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