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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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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: toast · leaves · arm · prune · stem · deal · lie · race

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. race — humankind
  10. stem — to come from
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. deal — to handle
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. prune — to trim
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. toast — bread
  24. deal — an agreement

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