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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 120 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. deal — to handle
  9. hand — help
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. prune — to trim
  14. branch — a division
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. squash — the sport
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. squash — to crush
  22. hand — in cards
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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