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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 120 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 · prune · pit · bark · hide · mine · wave · drill

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mine — for digging
  3. prune — to trim
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bark — to shout
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pit — a hole
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. prune — to trim
  14. perch — the fish
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pit — in a race
  17. drill — army training
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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