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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: file · wake · object · nail · fan · prune · ball · ground

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. object — a thing
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. object — to protest
  7. prune — to trim
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. object — an aim
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. ground — a position
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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