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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: prune · trunk · row · cell · cabinet · content · file · saw

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. file — a line of people
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cell — in biology
  9. saw — the tool
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. file — a tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. file — a document
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. content — the amount
  23. cell — a phone
  24. content — happy

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