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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: pop · leaves · prune · lean · file · can · rush · roll

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. file — a line of people
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. can — to be able to
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. file — a document
  11. pop — soda
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. file — a tool
  15. roll — a list
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pop — to visit
  18. roll — a cake
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lean — to bend
  21. can — a tin
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pop — music

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