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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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 a car
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. suit — in cards
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. race — a contest
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. race — the arms race
  12. suit — to fit
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. suit — clothes
  15. saw — the tool
  16. race — humankind
  17. branch — a division
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wind — moving air
  24. trunk — of a tree

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