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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: mate · calf · prune · firm · file · rock · present · last

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. firm — decided
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rock — music
  6. firm — steady
  7. file — a line of people
  8. firm — a company
  9. present — the time now
  10. last — finally
  11. mate — a partner
  12. last — final
  13. rock — a stone
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. file — a document
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. present — a gift
  20. last — to go on
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. present — there
  24. prune — the fruit

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