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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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. plane — an aircraft
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. field — for sport
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. field — farmland
  9. plane — a tool
  10. object — an aim
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. content — happy
  17. prune — to trim
  18. object — a thing
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. field — a subject
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. dip — to sink
  24. object — to protest

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