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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. row — a line
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wound — an injury
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fork — in a road
  15. row — to paddle
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fan — a supporter

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