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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. spell — letters
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fall — the season
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. spell — magic
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. spell — a short time
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rock — music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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