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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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. prune — to trim
  3. net — for catching
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. tear — from crying
  10. branch — a division
  11. tear — from crying
  12. firm — steady
  13. tear — to rip
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. net — in sport
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. net — after costs
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. firm — decided
  21. pass — a permit
  22. firm — a company
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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