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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
468
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: track · prune · stick · file · jam · present · hand · lean

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hand — help
  8. present — the time now
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. file — a tool
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lean — to bend
  14. track — a song
  15. file — a line of people
  16. track — a path
  17. hand — in cards
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. present — there
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. present — a gift
  24. file — a document

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