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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.

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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: snap · prune · can · arm · cap · pit · patient · hand

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pit — a hole
  3. hand — help
  4. cap — a lid
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. prune — to trim
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cap — a hat
  13. can — a tin
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. cap — of ice
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pit — in a race
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. snap — to click
  24. prune — to trim

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