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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: suit · prune · fine · pop · toast · patient · last · trunk

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. suit — clothes
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pop — soda
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pop — to visit
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fine — high quality
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pop — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. prune — to trim
  15. last — finally
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. toast — bread
  19. suit — to fit
  20. last — to go on
  21. suit — in cards
  22. last — final
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fine — all right

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