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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: plane · dip · file · pit · saw · roll · bound · prune

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bound — certain
  4. prune — to trim
  5. file — a document
  6. prune — to trim
  7. plane — a tool
  8. roll — a cake
  9. saw — the tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. dip — to sink
  12. roll — a list
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pit — in a race
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pit — a hole
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bound — tied together
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bound — obliged

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