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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. chip — to eat
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. file — a document
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fine — all right
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. file — a line of people
  16. fine — high quality
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pop — soda
  21. sharp — clever
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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