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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: prune · trunk · foot · snap · bass · lash · land · bank

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bank — of a river
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bank — for money
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. snap — to click
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. land — ground
  14. bass — low music
  15. foot — a measure
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bank — for money
  24. prune — to trim

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