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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.

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: pop · file · plane · bark · perch · craft · saw · straw

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pop — to visit
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bark — to shout
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. plane — a tool
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. saw — the tool
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. perch — for a bird

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