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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: perch · clip · foot · prune · suit · file · fall · rush

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fall — to drop
  3. clip — for paper
  4. suit — to fit
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rush — hurry
  8. foot — a measure
  9. clip — to cut
  10. file — a document
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. clip — a video
  14. fall — the season
  15. perch — the fish
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. file — a tool
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. file — a line of people
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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