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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 120 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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fine — high quality
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fine — all right
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. prune — to trim
  18. season — in sport
  19. dip — to sink
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. season — of the year
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mate — a friend
  24. dip — to dunk

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