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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: bank · mug · arm · prune · capital · chest · chair · leaves

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mug — a cup
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bank — of a river
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bank — for money
  13. capital — a city
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bank — for money
  16. chest — of your body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. capital — money
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chest — a box
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. arm — a part of something

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