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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: ground · file · spell · fan · prune · content · bay · pass

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spell — letters
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pass — a permit
  14. spell — a short time
  15. content — the amount
  16. spell — magic
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. file — a tool
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. content — happy

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