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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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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: fork · fall · prune · perch · tear · hide · suit · chip

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. tear — from crying
  10. suit — in cards
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. suit — to fit
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. chip — for betting
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. prune — to trim
  22. suit — clothes
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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