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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.

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: lie · file · rash · chair · arm · prune · foot · mine

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rash — a series
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. foot — a measure
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. file — a document
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rash — hasty

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