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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. prune — to trim
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. object — to protest
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pit — a hole
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pit — in a race
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. dip — to sink
  17. object — a thing
  18. prune — to trim
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. object — an aim
  21. craft — boats
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. straw — dry grass

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