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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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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 · hand · rest · fan · snap · file · prune · craft

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. craft — boats
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hand — help
  10. file — a line of people
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hand — in cards
  17. prune — to trim
  18. file — a document
  19. craft — a skill
  20. file — a tool
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. snap — to click
  24. arm — a part of something

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