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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 · mouse · foot · dip · season · coach · mug · file

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. season — of the year
  4. prune — to trim
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. file — a document
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mug — a cup
  14. prune — to trim
  15. file — a line of people
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. season — in sport
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mug — a face
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. file — a tool
  24. dip — to sink

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