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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: arm · chair · net · lean · prune · wake · firm · shower

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. firm — a company
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. net — after costs
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. shower — rain
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. shower — to wash
  10. net — for catching
  11. firm — decided
  12. lean — thin
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. firm — steady
  16. lean — to bend
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. prune — to trim
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. net — in sport
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wake — a trail

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