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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pop — music
  5. last — finally
  6. pop — soda
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pop — to visit
  9. last — final
  10. plane — a tool
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. file — a document
  13. last — to go on
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. prune — to trim
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. file — a line of people
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stock — goods

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