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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: bat · prune · bear · tube · mug · can · plane · trunk

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mug — a cup
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — a container
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bat — the animal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. can — a tin
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. can — a tin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mug — a face
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mug — to rob

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