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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. date — the fruit
  3. spell — letters
  4. fall — to drop
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. spell — magic
  13. foot — a measure
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fall — the season
  17. prune — to trim
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mine — for digging

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