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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: bear · can · cabinet · prune · row · stick · wake · arm

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — to be able to
  9. row — a line
  10. wake — a trail
  11. can — a tin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. row — to paddle
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. can — a tin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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