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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 124 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. current — electric
  6. track — a path
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. track — to keep track
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. current — of water
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. foot — a measure
  14. current — happening now
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. roll — a list
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. track — a song
  21. prune — to trim
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. roll — a cake

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