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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. root — the cause
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. prune — to trim
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. band — a ring
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. capital — money
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. root — of a word
  18. band — a music group
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. capital — a city

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