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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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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. tube — a container
  3. file — a line of people
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — happy
  6. file — a document
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. spell — magic
  9. pass — a permit
  10. season — of the year
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. file — a tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. content — the amount
  19. season — in sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. tube — the underground
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pass — to succeed

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