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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 116 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: key · pass · file · prune · hide · cell · firm · tear

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. file — a line of people
  3. tear — from crying
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. firm — steady
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. firm — a company
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. prune — to trim
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — to trim
  14. file — a document
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. pass — a permit
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. tear — from crying
  21. firm — decided
  22. cell — in biology
  23. file — a tool
  24. cell — a phone

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