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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. file — a document
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. file — a line of people
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rush — hurry
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. staff — employees
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. file — a tool
  18. pit — a hole
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rush — to hurry

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