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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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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 · kick · rock · clip · chip · spell · mark · prune

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mark — a trace
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. kick — in football
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. clip — a video
  8. spell — a short time
  9. clip — for paper
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rock — a stone
  12. clip — to cut
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mark — a grade
  15. chip — for betting
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. spell — magic
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. spell — letters
  23. prune — to trim
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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