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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: arm · rest · prune · can · calf · board · wake · straw

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. can — a tin
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rest — a break
  7. can — a tin
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rest — what's left
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rest — what's left
  21. prune — to trim
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wake — a trail

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