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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · march · date · file · prune · stick · fan · stem

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. date — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. file — a tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. march — music
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. march — the month
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. file — a document
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. march — the month
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fan — a supporter

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