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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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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: kid · charge · arm · prune · straw · coach · bulb · present

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. charge — electricity
  7. present — there
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. present — the time now
  11. kid — child
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bulb — for light
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. present — a gift
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. straw — dry grass

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