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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 116 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 · stick · mate · perch · wave · pop · bore · prune

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. pop — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pop — soda
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a document
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mate — a friend
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  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