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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mark — a trace
  4. craft — boats
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. present — a gift
  7. craft — a skill
  8. present — there
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. file — a document
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. mark — a grade
  15. file — a tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. roll — a cake
  18. date — the fruit
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. prune — to trim
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. present — the time now
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. file — a line of people

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