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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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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 · snap · plane · charge · prune · fork · foot · jam

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. charge — electricity
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. charge — in control
  6. plane — a tool
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. prune — to trim
  12. file — a line of people
  13. foot — a measure
  14. file — a tool
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. file — a document
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fork — in a road
  21. charge — a price
  22. snap — to click
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. prune — to trim

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