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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. content — the amount
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fall — the season
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mate — a friend
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rash — a series
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mate — a partner
  23. content — happy
  24. fall — to drop

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