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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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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 · bay · file · ball · prune · ruler · rest · wound

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rest — what's left
  9. file — a tool
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wound — an injury
  16. file — a line of people
  17. ball — a great time
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rest — a break
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. perch — the fish

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