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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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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: ball · file · perch · rush · lie · saw · pound · bark

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ball — a dance
  5. file — a tool
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lie — to recline
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rush — hurry
  16. file — a document
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bark — to shout
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pound — for dogs

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