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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. file — a tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. stand — to bear
  6. drill — the tool
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. net — after costs
  11. pop — music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pop — to visit
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pop — soda
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. prune — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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