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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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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: bay · kid · pass · bore · bark · prune · trunk · fall

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bark — to shout
  4. kid — child
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. kid — to tease
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fall — the season
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bore — to drill
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. prune — to trim

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