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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. prune — to trim
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. dip — to sink
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. branch — a division
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cabinet — ministers

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