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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: content · arm · land · cell · saw · coach · fan · prune

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. land — to come down
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cell — a phone
  5. content — the amount
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. land — a country
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. saw — the tool
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. saw — the tool
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. prune — to trim
  16. land — ground
  17. content — happy
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cell — in biology

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