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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. date — the fruit
  3. net — for catching
  4. toast — bread
  5. staff — employees
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. net — in sport
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lean — thin
  11. net — after costs
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. staff — employees
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lean — to bend
  22. staff — a stick
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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