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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. prune — to trim
  4. row — to paddle
  5. object — an aim
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. object — a thing
  9. row — a line
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. staff — employees
  17. object — to protest
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. staff — employees
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. fan — to cool the air

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