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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: last · suit · bulb · mark · prune · bear · kid · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. mark — a grade
  4. suit — clothes
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. file — a document
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bulb — for light
  11. last — final
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mark — a trace
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. suit — to fit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. last — to go on
  20. bear — the animal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. last — finally

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