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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: bore · sharp · bay · fork · straw · wake · file · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wake — a trail
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. file — a tool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. file — a document
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. straw — dry grass

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