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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: ball · foot · can · last · stand · prune · face · file

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. face — to point toward
  3. can — a tin
  4. stand — to bear
  5. last — finally
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. file — a tool
  9. last — final
  10. face — part of the head
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. face — to confront
  14. file — a line of people
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ball — a great time
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ball — a dance
  20. can — to be able to
  21. prune — to trim
  22. last — to go on
  23. file — a document
  24. stand — for spectators

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