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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: temple · prune · perch · current · land · tube · sharp · file

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. tube — a container
  3. sharp — clever
  4. file — a document
  5. prune — to trim
  6. perch — the fish
  7. tube — the underground
  8. current — happening now
  9. file — a tool
  10. land — ground
  11. current — of water
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. file — a line of people
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. land — to come down
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. current — electric
  18. land — a country
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. tube — in a tire

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