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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: present · prune · arm · track · fan · hand · cap · nail

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. present — the time now
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. present — there
  10. track — a song
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cap — of ice
  16. track — a path
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. present — a gift
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cap — a hat
  22. hand — in cards
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — to keep track

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