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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. land — to come down
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. board — a committee
  9. land — a country
  10. board — to get on
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a document
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. land — ground
  16. dip — to sink
  17. file — a line of people
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. saw — the tool
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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