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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bass — low music
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. object — an aim
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fall — to drop
  14. object — to protest
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fall — the season
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. object — a thing
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. saw — the tool

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