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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: calf · mouse · prune · clip · roll · plane · perch · season

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. plane — a tool
  4. roll — a cake
  5. prune — to trim
  6. roll — a list
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. clip — to cut
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  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