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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.

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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: bay · rock · trunk · hand · roll · file · root · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rock — a stone
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. rock — music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. roll — a list
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. roll — a cake
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. perch — the fish
  17. root — the cause
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. file — a tool
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. roll — on a roll

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