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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. craft — boats
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. prune — to trim
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. prune — to trim
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pop — to visit
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pop — music
  18. cue — for pool
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pop — soda
  23. cue — a signal
  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