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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stock — goods
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stock — shares

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