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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · roll · can · lean · row · prune · bark · perch

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. can — a tin
  3. row — a line
  4. roll — a cake
  5. lean — to bend
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. lean — thin
  8. mate — a friend
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mate — a partner
  12. prune — to trim
  13. can — to be able to
  14. perch — the fish
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. can — a tin
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bark — to shout
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. roll — a list

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