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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lean — to bend
  3. staff — employees
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. file — a document
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. file — a line of people
  9. staff — a stick
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lie — to recline
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. file — a tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — employees
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lean — thin

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