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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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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: bore · dip · tear · perch · tube · prune · file · chip

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a document
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bore — to tire
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bore — to drill
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tear — from crying
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chip — for betting
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. chip — to eat
  21. file — a tool
  22. tube — a container
  23. dip — to sink
  24. prune — to trim

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