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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. file — a document
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. file — a line of people
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bear — the animal
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. file — a tool
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. prune — to trim
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fan — a supporter

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