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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. spring — of water
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mark — a grade
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. club — for dancing
  9. spring — the season
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. club — for golf
  13. prune — to trim
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. prune — to trim
  21. club — a group
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. kick — in football

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