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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. spell — magic
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. spell — a short time
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. land — ground
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. spell — letters
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mark — a trace
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pass — a permit
  20. land — a country
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. land — to come down

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