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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 120 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: stock · wax · pit · rash · file · suit · prune · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rash — a series
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. suit — clothes
  9. file — a tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stock — shares
  16. file — a document
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rash — hasty
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pit — in a race
  21. stock — goods
  22. pit — a hole
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rash — on the 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