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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: prune · trunk · arm · craft · mate · cue · bore · stand

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mate — a friend
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. stand — to bear
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. prune — to trim
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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