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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. prune — to trim
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bass — low music
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. prune — to trim
  23. toast — bread
  24. bat — the animal

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