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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · foot · perch · straw · wave · spell · bark · cabinet

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. file — a document
  5. foot — a measure
  6. spell — a short time
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. file — a line of people
  11. spell — magic
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bark — to shout
  16. file — a tool
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — for a bird

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