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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rush — hurry
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. perch — the fish
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — happy
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. prune — to trim
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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