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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.

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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: can · board · prune · lie · tear · arm · hide · mate

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mate — a partner
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. can — a tin
  6. board — a committee
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mate — to breed
  11. lie — to recline
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. can — to be able to
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tear — from crying
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tear — to rip
  20. board — to get on
  21. can — a tin
  22. mate — a friend
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. prune — to trim

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