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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.

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: lash · prune · current · scale · rock · file · chip · straw

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. file — a tool
  5. rock — a stone
  6. current — electric
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. file — a document
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. scale — size or range
  15. current — happening now
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rock — music
  18. current — of water
  19. chip — to eat
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. file — a line of people
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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