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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. prune — to trim
  4. degree — from a university
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. season — of the year
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. degree — an amount
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. season — in sport
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. degree — temperature
  15. sharp — clever
  16. plane — a tool
  17. firm — a company
  18. suit — in cards
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. suit — clothes
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. prune — to trim
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. suit — to fit

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