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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. present — a gift
  4. firm — decided
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. prune — to trim
  12. saw — the tool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. firm — steady
  16. present — the time now
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. present — there
  19. can — a tin
  20. prune — to trim
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. firm — a company

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