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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rest — a break
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. shower — rain
  10. lean — thin
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bound — certain
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. shower — to wash
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bound — obliged
  23. prune — to trim
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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