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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: lean · prune · arm · kid · can · file · lie · bulb

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lean — thin
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. kid — child
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. lie — to recline
  9. file — a tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bulb — for light
  15. prune — to trim
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — to tease
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. file — a line of people
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — to bend
  24. file — a document

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