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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. swing — to play on
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. kick — in football
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. band — a ring
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. swing — in golf
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. prune — to trim
  20. swing — music
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. band — a music group

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