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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 116 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: prune · cabinet · face · perch · wound · wave · bark · file

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wound — an injury
  3. file — a tool
  4. face — to confront
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. face — to point toward
  13. file — a document
  14. wound — an injury
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cabinet — ministers

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