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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. squash — to crush
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. tube — a container
  22. lie — to recline
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. trunk — of a tree

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