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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: file · snap · rash · prune · firm · bound · wake · pitch

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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. snap — to click
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bound — certain
  6. rash — hasty
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. bound — tied together
  10. file — a tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rash — a series
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. file — a line of people
  20. firm — steady
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rash — on the skin

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