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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: arm · cue · prune · chip · rush · dip · kid · leaves

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. dip — to sink
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kid — to tease
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. kid — child
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chip — for betting
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cue — a hint
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. rush — a thrill

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