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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 120 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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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 · mate · tube · snap · drill · present · cabinet · prune

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mate — a friend
  3. prune — to trim
  4. present — the time now
  5. mate — to breed
  6. drill — the tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. snap — to click
  10. tube — a container
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. present — there
  13. tube — the underground
  14. present — a gift
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. drill — a practice
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mate — a partner
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cabinet — ministers

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