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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. prune — to trim
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. prune — to trim
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. band — a ring
  14. fall — to drop
  15. band — a music group
  16. cue — a hint
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cue — a signal
  21. fall — the season
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fall — to drop

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