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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 116 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. track — to keep track
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mark — a grade
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. snap — to click
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mark — a trace
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. track — a path
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. track — a song
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rock — music
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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