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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 120 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 · stick · bear · file · stand · shower · ball · saw

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. saw — the tool
  10. file — a tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. saw — the tool
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. shower — rain
  21. prune — to trim
  22. shower — to wash
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. file — a document

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