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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: prune · safe · kick · bark · trunk · nail · fall · track

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bark — to shout
  4. prune — to trim
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fall — to drop
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. track — a song
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. track — a path
  16. prune — to trim
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fall — the season
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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