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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: can · bowl · perch · pass · arm · trunk · saw · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. can — to be able to
  3. file — a document
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. can — a tin
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pass — a permit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. saw — the tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. can — a tin
  22. perch — the fish
  23. file — a line of people
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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