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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: perch · file · cue · prune · nail · shower · stick · bulb

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. shower — to wash
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. file — a line of people
  8. cue — a hint
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. perch — the fish
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cue — for pool
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. shower — rain

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