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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. file — a document
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. file — a line of people
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. spring — of water
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mark — a trace
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. prune — to trim
  18. file — a tool
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. spring — the season
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. row — a line
  24. spring — a coil

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