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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. spell — a short time
  3. clip — to cut
  4. prune — to trim
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bank — for money
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. clip — for paper
  9. spell — letters
  10. firm — a company
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bank — for money
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. firm — decided
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. clip — a video
  20. firm — steady
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. prune — to trim
  24. spell — magic

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