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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: prune · object · perch · date · craft · lean · file · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lean — to bend
  5. kid — child
  6. file — a document
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. file — a tool
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. kid — to tease
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lean — thin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. file — a line of people
  19. date — the fruit
  20. perch — the fish
  21. object — an aim
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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