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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. band — a ring
  9. present — a gift
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. prune — to trim
  12. present — there
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. present — the time now
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fine — all right
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mate — a partner
  22. band — a music group
  23. mate — to breed
  24. arm — part of the body

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