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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. drill — a practice
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. prune — to trim
  5. band — a music group
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. drill — army training
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. key — for a lock
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. drill — the tool
  22. key — in music
  23. band — a ring
  24. key — the most important part

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