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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 · prune · fall · bulb · nail · land · straw · foot

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. land — a country
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fall — the season
  5. land — to come down
  6. prune — to trim
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. fall — to drop
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. foot — a measure
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fall — to drop
  18. land — ground
  19. prune — to trim
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bulb — for light
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. nail — on a finger
  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