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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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468
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: prune · jam · chest · mate · pass · stand · file · spring

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mate — to breed
  4. chest — a box
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stand — to bear
  7. chest — of your body
  8. file — a line of people
  9. spring — the season
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pass — a permit
  16. file — a tool
  17. chest — of your body
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mate — a friend
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. spring — of water
  24. stand — on your feet

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