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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. branch — a division
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. file — a tool
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. file — a document
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. prune — to trim
  20. land — a country
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. file — a line of people
  24. lash — to lash out

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