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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 116 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: prune · leaves · scale · current · file · straw · snap · nail

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. file — a tool
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. current — of water
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. scale — in music
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. scale — size or range
  13. prune — to trim
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. current — electric
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. file — a line of people
  23. current — happening now
  24. snap — to click

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