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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · file · straw · cell · face · suit · prune · pitcher

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. face — to point toward
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cell — a phone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cell — in biology
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. file — a line of people
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. file — a tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — to confront
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. can — to be able to

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