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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rest — a break
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. row — a line
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. prune — to trim
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kick — with a leg

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