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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: sharp · prune · suit · kid · cell · chest · mouse · foot

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. kid — child
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chest — of your body
  5. prune — to trim
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. chest — of your body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. sharp — clever
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kid — to tease
  21. chest — a box
  22. cell — in biology
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. foot — 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