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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pass — a permit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. kick — in football
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pass — to succeed

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