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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: suit · prune · staff · tube · file · club · straw · bore

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. file — a tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. staff — employees
  5. tube — a container
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. club — for golf
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. prune — to trim
  10. staff — a stick
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bore — to drill
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bore — to tire
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. file — a line of people
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. file — a document
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. suit — to fit
  21. staff — employees
  22. club — a group
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. suit — clothes

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