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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. file — a tool
  4. face — to point toward
  5. suit — clothes
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. file — a line of people
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. key — in music
  12. suit — to fit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. file — a document
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. face — part of the head
  18. prune — to trim
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. face — to confront
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wave — with your hand

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