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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · prune · straw · chair · race · trunk · mug · tube

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mug — a face
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. race — a contest
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chair — a leader
  10. race — humankind
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mug — to rob
  14. prune — to trim
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mug — a cup
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. spell — letters
  24. straw — dry grass

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