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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · mate · tear · prune · craft · mark

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mate — to breed
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. prune — to trim
  9. tear — from crying
  10. craft — boats
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mate — a partner
  15. craft — a skill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mark — a grade

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