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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 116 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: file · tube · rest · hide · bass · object · prune · fall

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. object — an aim
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. file — a document
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rest — what's left
  7. object — a thing
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. file — a tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — the fish
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fall — the season
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tube — a container
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bass — low music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. object — to protest
  24. hide — animal skin

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