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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: file · prune · content · bound · toast · pass · fan · spell

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. prune — to trim
  4. content — the amount
  5. bound — certain
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bound — obliged
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. file — a document
  10. content — happy
  11. bound — tied together
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a tool
  17. spell — letters
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. spell — magic
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. spell — a short time

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