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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 · file · toast · tube · cabinet · firm · mug · nail

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. toast — bread
  3. mug — a cup
  4. firm — steady
  5. tube — a container
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. firm — decided
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. file — a tool
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. file — a line of people
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mug — a face
  18. prune — to trim
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. tube — the underground
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. firm — a company

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