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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
468
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: arm · pitcher · saw · prune · lean · coach · mate · wind

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mate — to breed
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. lean — thin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wind — moving air
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. prune — to trim
  24. coach — a trainer

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