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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. file — a tool
  13. content — happy
  14. stand — to bear
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rest — a break
  18. kick — in football
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ball — a dance
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. prune — the fruit

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