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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · lash · bark · prune · board · ruler · wound · pitcher

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. board — to get on
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ruler — for measuring

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