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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. object — a thing
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. object — to protest
  13. net — after costs
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chair — a leader
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. file — a tool
  20. object — an aim
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pound — a weight

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