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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cabinet · chest · lie · prune · can · stick · foot · dip

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. can — a tin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chest — of your body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lie — to recline
  16. dip — to sink
  17. can — a tin
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. prune — to trim
  24. can — to be able to

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