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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chest — a box
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. branch — a division
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. kick — in football
  13. chest — of your body
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. chest — of your body
  16. saw — the tool
  17. drill — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — army training
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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