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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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 an elephant
  2. last — to go on
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. prune — to trim
  5. last — final
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. land — a country
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. rock — a stone
  16. board — to get on
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bark — to shout
  20. last — finally
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rock — music
  23. prune — to trim
  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