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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. present — the time now
  6. can — a tin
  7. stand — to bear
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. prune — to trim
  11. present — a gift
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. spring — the season
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. present — there
  23. can — a tin
  24. stand — on your feet

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