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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bulb — for light
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lie — to recline
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. last — finally
  13. row — a line
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. band — a music group
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. row — to paddle
  19. band — a ring
  20. last — final
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. file — a tool
  24. row — a quarrel

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