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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: tube · foot · prune · lean · pop · last · file · mate

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mate — a friend
  3. file — a line of people
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. last — finally
  6. prune — to trim
  7. tube — a container
  8. pop — soda
  9. file — a document
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pop — music
  12. mate — to breed
  13. prune — to trim
  14. file — a tool
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pop — to visit
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. last — final
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lean — thin
  21. last — to go on
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lean — to bend

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