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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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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: foot · object · club · cabinet · straw · land · prune · rush

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. club — for golf
  3. foot — a measure
  4. land — to come down
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. club — for dancing
  8. object — an aim
  9. rush — hurry
  10. land — a country
  11. object — to protest
  12. land — ground
  13. object — a thing
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. club — a group
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rush — to hurry

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