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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. file — a document
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. file — a tool
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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