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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: trunk · straw · patient · lie · prune · net · arm · nail

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. net — in sport
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. net — for catching
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. net — after costs
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. prune — to trim
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. lie — to recline
  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