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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fall — the season
  4. drill — army training
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. club — for dancing
  8. mark — a grade
  9. branch — a division
  10. mark — a trace
  11. club — a group
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. drill — the tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. prune — to trim
  18. club — for golf
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. prune — to trim

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