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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
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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 · land · band · prune · drill · arm · toast · dip

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. land — to come down
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. band — a music group
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. prune — to trim
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. land — a country
  12. dip — to sink
  13. drill — a practice
  14. prune — to trim
  15. band — a ring
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. toast — bread
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. land — ground
  20. drill — army training
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. drill — the tool

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