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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 · cabinet · can · club · perch · lash · prune · rule

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. can — a tin
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — to be able to
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rule — government
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. file — a document
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. prune — to trim
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rule — a law
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. file — a tool
  20. club — a group
  21. can — a tin
  22. club — for golf
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cabinet — ministers

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