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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: ruler · prune · charge · fan · last · file · sharp · bear

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bear — the animal
  3. last — final
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. file — a tool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. file — a document
  9. last — to go on
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. charge — electricity
  12. sharp — clever
  13. file — a line of people
  14. charge — a price
  15. prune — to trim
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. charge — in control
  20. prune — to trim
  21. last — finally
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bear — to put up with

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