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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: prune · tear · deal · fine · lash · chair · file · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. file — a document
  4. pop — soda
  5. prune — to trim
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fine — high quality
  11. file — a line of people
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. file — a tool
  14. tear — to rip
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pop — music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. deal — to handle
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. fine — all right
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tear — from crying

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