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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: pop · last · lie · file · perch · saw · bark · cabinet

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. file — a tool
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. file — a document
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. last — final
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. file — a line of people

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