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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: game · prune · rush · spring · sharp · lie · lean · file

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. file — a document
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. file — a tool
  8. spring — a coil
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — thin
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lean — to bend
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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