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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · chip · file · trunk · prune · mate · dip · lash

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. file — a document
  3. mate — a partner
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mate — to breed
  6. file — a tool
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mate — a friend
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. prune — to trim
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. chip — for betting
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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