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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. craft — boats
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. craft — a skill
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cold — an illness
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. prune — to trim
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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