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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. key — in music
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rest — a break
  9. file — a document
  10. rest — what's left
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. key — the most important part
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rest — what's left
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bore — to drill
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bore — to tire
  24. key — for a lock

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