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

Word bank: prune · root · trunk · kid · fall · saw · stick · rule

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fall — to drop
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rule — government
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. kid — child
  10. root — of a word
  11. fall — to drop
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fall — the season
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. rule — a law
  19. prune — to trim
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. trunk — of a car

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