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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: kick · prune · bore · plane · stand · arm · mate · land

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. land — to come down
  3. mate — to breed
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mate — a friend
  12. land — a country
  13. plane — a tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. kick — in football
  24. land — ground

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