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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: deal · file · fall · prune · mug · can · rash · chest

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. file — a line of people
  3. chest — a box
  4. rash — a series
  5. file — a document
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fall — the season
  13. can — a tin
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. chest — of your body
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. file — a tool
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mug — a face
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mug — a cup

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