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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. file — a tool
  3. wake — a trail
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mark — a trace
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fork — in a road
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. object — to protest
  14. plane — a tool
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. object — a thing

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