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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: cabinet · firm · lean · wind · file · spell · stand · prune

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. firm — decided
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. firm — a company
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. lean — thin
  14. file — a line of people
  15. spell — a short time
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. firm — steady
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wind — moving air

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