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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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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: calf · pass · can · shower · prune · trunk · nail · land

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. shower — rain
  4. prune — to trim
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. land — ground
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. can — a tin
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. can — a tin
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pass — a permit
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. can — to be able to
  19. land — to come down
  20. shower — to wash
  21. land — a country
  22. prune — to trim
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. calf — a young animal

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