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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. file — a tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. firm — a company
  5. pound — a weight
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. firm — steady
  13. file — a document
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. file — a line of people
  16. firm — decided
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. tear — from crying
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rock — music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pound — to hit hard

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