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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: prune · mark · rest · season · bound · lash · perch · file

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. season — in sport
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. season — of the year
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mark — a grade
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rest — a break
  13. file — a tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rest — what's left
  18. file — a document
  19. bound — obliged
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. file — a line of people
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. season — to add flavour

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