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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · mate · sharp · prune · squash · bore · arm · straw

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. prune — to trim
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. field — for sport
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bore — to tire
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. field — a subject
  11. mate — a partner
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mate — a friend
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. field — farmland
  19. mate — to breed
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. squash — the sport

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