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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: game · perch · snap · mark · bulb · prune · rock · leaves

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bulb — for light
  3. prune — to trim
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. snap — to click
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mark — a trace
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. prune — to trim
  21. game — a match
  22. perch — the fish
  23. game — wild animals
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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