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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.

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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. roll — a list
  3. file — a document
  4. toast — bread
  5. file — a tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. clip — to cut
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. ball — a dance
  12. file — a line of people
  13. saw — the tool
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mug — a cup
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. roll — a cake
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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