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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. dip — to sink
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. root — of a plant
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. root — of a word
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. root — the cause
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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