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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
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: prune · perch · wound · cabinet · season · bear · staff · ruler

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bear — the animal
  6. staff — employees
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. perch — the fish
  9. season — in sport
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. season — of the year
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. staff — employees
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wound — an injury

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