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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stem — to come from
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cell — in biology
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. saw — the tool
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. prune — to trim
  15. track — a song
  16. toast — bread
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cell — a phone
  19. track — a path
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. ball — a dance

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