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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: prune · mate · bore · face · can · mouse · squash · arm

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. squash — the sport
  5. can — to be able to
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mate — a partner
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bore — to tire
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mate — to breed
  15. squash — to crush
  16. can — a tin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. can — a tin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. face — part of the head
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bore — to drill

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