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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: prune · bark · sharp · dip · pop · lash · trunk · mate

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. sharp — clever
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. prune — to trim
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mate — to breed
  10. prune — to trim
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pop — soda
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mate — a friend

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