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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rock — music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. staff — a stick
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. fine — high quality
  14. dip — to sink
  15. land — to come down
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. staff — employees
  19. bulb — for light
  20. land — ground
  21. bulb — for light
  22. land — a country
  23. staff — employees
  24. fine — all right

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