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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 · can · prune · hand · trunk · mine · firm · jam

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. hand — in cards
  4. mine — for digging
  5. hand — help
  6. prune — to trim
  7. can — to be able to
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. can — a tin
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. firm — steady
  17. can — a tin
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. firm — a company
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. firm — decided
  24. arm — part of the body

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