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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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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: row · prune · rest · bay · charge · mine · toast · file

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rest — what's left
  3. row — a line
  4. toast — bread
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. file — a tool
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rest — what's left
  11. file — a line of people
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rest — a break
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. file — a document
  16. row — to paddle
  17. charge — electricity
  18. prune — to trim
  19. charge — a price
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. charge — in control
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mine — for digging

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