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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bass — low music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. land — a country
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. land — to come down
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. prune — to trim
  14. land — ground
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. plane — a tool
  17. firm — decided
  18. bass — the fish
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. firm — steady
  22. fork — in a road
  23. firm — a company
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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