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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spell — a short time
  8. band — a ring
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. root — of a plant
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bat — the animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. root — of a word
  18. file — a document
  19. band — a music group
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. root — the cause
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. safe — out of danger

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