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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.

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: file · lean · perch · spell · ruler · coach · foot · trunk

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. spell — letters
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. foot — a measure
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. file — a tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spell — a short time
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. lean — to bend
  17. file — a line of people
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. spell — magic
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. file — a document

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