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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: nail · pit · staff · perch · hide · rash · bark · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pit — a hole
  3. staff — employees
  4. prune — to trim
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pit — in a race
  10. staff — a stick
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. staff — employees
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. nail — on a finger

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