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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.

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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: foot · prune · deal · dip · saw · file · squash · ground

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. dip — to sink
  4. file — a line of people
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. squash — to crush
  7. ground — a position
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. saw — the tool
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. file — a tool
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ground — crushed
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. file — a document
  17. deal — to handle
  18. squash — the sport
  19. foot — a measure
  20. prune — to trim
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. ground — the earth
  24. saw — the 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