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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stock — shares
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rock — music
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bound — obliged
  17. plane — a tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bound — certain
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bear — the animal

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