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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. can — to be able to
  3. last — final
  4. prune — to trim
  5. last — finally
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. prune — to trim
  8. net — for catching
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. tube — a container
  13. last — to go on
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. net — after costs
  17. bound — certain
  18. can — a tin
  19. net — in sport
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. tube — the underground
  22. can — a tin
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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