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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: lie · spell · row · bore · bark · prune · rest · trunk

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bark — to shout
  8. prune — to trim
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rest — a break
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bore — to tire
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spell — letters
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spell — magic
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bore — to drill

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