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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.

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: rule · arm · can · cap · content · spring · coach · prune

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rule — a law
  3. prune — to trim
  4. can — a tin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. content — happy
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cap — a lid
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. can — a tin
  15. spring — the season
  16. content — the amount
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. spring — of water
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rule — government
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. spring — a coil

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