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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bound — obliged
  5. staff — employees
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. staff — employees
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. present — a gift
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. prune — to trim
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. present — the time now
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bound — certain
  24. present — there

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