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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. firm — decided
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. content — the amount
  9. season — of the year
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — the tool
  12. season — in sport
  13. content — happy
  14. band — a music group
  15. firm — steady
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. band — a ring
  20. firm — a company
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. season — to add flavour

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