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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: hide · toast · prune · content · roll · arm · staff · bore

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. roll — a list
  6. prune — to trim
  7. roll — a cake
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. staff — employees
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. toast — bread
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. content — the amount
  23. staff — a stick
  24. content — happy

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