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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.

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: object · arm · bank · ground · prune · swing · last · fan

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. swing — to play on
  4. last — finally
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bank — of a river
  9. swing — music
  10. last — final
  11. object — a thing
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. object — an aim
  14. last — to go on
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. object — to protest
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bank — for money
  20. ground — a position
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bank — for money
  24. ground — the earth

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