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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 124 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fall — the season
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. shower — to wash
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. roll — a list
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stock — shares
  13. roll — a cake
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. shower — rain
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stock — goods
  24. kick — a thrill

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