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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: file · leaves · perch · bulb · bat · bay · prune · lash

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bulb — for light
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. file — a tool
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. file — a document
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. prune — to trim
  24. leaves — of a tree

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