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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. file — a document
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. prune — to trim
  6. file — a line of people
  7. snap — to click
  8. rule — a law
  9. craft — a skill
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. rule — government
  20. lean — thin
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. file — a tool

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