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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: saw · prune · arm · chair · bowl · fork · straw · foot

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. prune — to trim
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. fork — in a road
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. prune — to trim

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