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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: wound · cell · lash · object · shower · trunk · prune · plane

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. object — an aim
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. shower — rain
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wound — an injury
  14. object — a thing
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. shower — to wash
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wound — an injury
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. plane — a tool
  24. object — to protest

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