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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: march · perch · trunk · nail · saw · file · root · can

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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. saw — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. march — the month
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. root — the cause
  11. march — the month
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. root — of a word
  14. file — a tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. can — to be able to
  17. root — of a plant
  18. can — a tin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. march — music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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