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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: rock · lie · date · arm · sharp · bass · jam · prune

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rock — a stone
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rock — music
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bass — the fish
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bass — low music
  16. lie — to recline
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. prune — to trim
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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