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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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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 · foot · staff · season · stand · mug · tube · file

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. file — a tool
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mug — a face
  5. season — of the year
  6. foot — a measure
  7. season — in sport
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. staff — employees
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. staff — employees
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. file — a line of people
  16. mug — to rob
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. staff — a stick
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. file — a document
  24. mug — a cup

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