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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. file — a document
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — a path
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. file — a line of people
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stem — to come from
  14. track — to keep track
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. prune — to trim
  22. track — a song
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. racket — for tennis

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