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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: file · ground · prune · scale · clip · cue · can · lean

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. clip — to cut
  2. file — a tool
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. ground — crushed
  5. lean — thin
  6. cue — a hint
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — for paper
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. prune — to trim
  11. can — a tin
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. cue — a signal
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cue — for pool
  17. scale — in music
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. scale — size or range
  22. lean — to bend
  23. prune — to trim
  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