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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: ruler · net · fork · prune · file · bear · lash · suit

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. file — a document
  5. suit — clothes
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. file — a tool
  22. suit — to fit
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fork — a garden tool

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