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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bulb · fan · mate · stick · net · trunk · wound

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. net — for catching
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wound — an injury
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mate — to breed
  14. net — in sport
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. net — after costs

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