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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
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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 · plane · last · prune · file · cold · charge · craft

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cold — an illness
  4. charge — electricity
  5. plane — a tool
  6. last — finally
  7. file — a document
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. charge — in control
  11. last — to go on
  12. prune — to trim
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. file — a tool
  16. last — final
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cold — not warm
  19. file — a line of people
  20. foot — a measure
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. craft — boats
  24. prune — to trim

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