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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · chest · wound · mug · toast · can · tube · mine

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wound — an injury
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chest — of your body
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. can — a tin
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. prune — to trim
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. tube — a container
  15. mug — to rob
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chest — a box
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mug — a face
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. can — a tin
  24. toast — bread

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