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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. prune — to trim
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. key — in music
  9. date — the fruit
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. key — the most important part
  13. deal — to handle
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. key — for a lock
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. leaves — to go away

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