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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rash — a series
  7. bore — to drill
  8. last — to go on
  9. stand — to bear
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spring — a coil
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. prune — to trim
  19. last — finally
  20. spring — of water
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bore — to tire
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. last — final

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