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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mate — to breed
  4. land — to come down
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. file — a document
  13. mate — a friend
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. land — ground
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. land — a country
  20. mate — a partner
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. foot — the bottom

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