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

Word bank: mate · cell · chest · prune · arm · bowl · ruler · suit

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. chest — a box
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. suit — clothes
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mate — to breed
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. suit — to fit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. suit — in cards

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