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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. suit — clothes
  5. swing — in golf
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rest — what's left
  8. suit — to fit
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. row — to paddle
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rest — a break
  13. suit — in cards
  14. row — a line
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. swing — music
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rest — what's left
  22. swing — to play on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lean — to rest against

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