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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: prune · rush · jam · kick · file · fan · face · can

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. face — to point toward
  3. file — a tool
  4. kick — in football
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rush — hurry
  7. can — a tin
  8. file — a document
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. prune — to trim
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. file — a line of people
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. jam — a tight spot

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