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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 120 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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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: present · prune · arm · staff · fall · cell · plane · court

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. court — of a king
  3. prune — to trim
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. staff — employees
  6. fall — to drop
  7. present — a gift
  8. court — of law
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cell — a phone
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. present — there
  13. staff — a stick
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. plane — a tool
  16. present — the time now
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. court — for sport
  20. cell — in biology
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. fall — the season
  23. arm — part of the body
  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