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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rest — what's left
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cap — a hat
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. prune — to trim
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rest — a break
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — in sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rest — what's left
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cap — a lid

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