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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mate — a friend
  4. foot — a measure
  5. prune — to trim
  6. current — happening now
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rash — a series
  9. current — of water
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. current — electric
  12. snap — to click
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mate — to breed
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. suit — clothes
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. file — a tool
  24. suit — to fit

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