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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: saw · perch · lean · cell · file · lash · trunk · ground

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cell — a phone
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ground — crushed
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. file — a document
  16. lean — to bend
  17. ground — the earth
  18. file — a line of people
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. ground — a position
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cell — in biology
  24. lean — thin

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