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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 120 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rest — a break
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rest — what's left
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rest — what's left
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lie — to recline
  24. nail — on a finger

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