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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cue — for pool
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. plane — a tool
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cue — a hint
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. lie — to recline
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cue — a signal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chest — a box

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