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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: staff · cap · present · land · arm · prune · mark · straw

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. land — to come down
  3. cap — of ice
  4. staff — employees
  5. prune — to trim
  6. present — there
  7. mark — a grade
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. land — a country
  14. present — the time now
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. present — a gift
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mark — a trace
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. cap — a hat
  23. prune — to trim
  24. land — ground

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