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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · cabinet · prune · racket · file · foot · lie · mine

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. foot — a measure
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lie — to recline
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. file — a document
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — for digging
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. file — a tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. file — a line of people
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. prune — to trim
  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