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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: file · trunk · foot · scale · lie · prune · ground · last

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. prune — to trim
  3. last — to go on
  4. ground — the earth
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. file — a tool
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. file — a document
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. last — finally
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. last — final
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. foot — a measure
  20. ground — a position
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. file — a line of people
  24. ground — crushed

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