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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 116 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: trunk · mate · tear · prune · craft · mark · stand · root

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mark — a trace
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. tear — from crying
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stand — to bear
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mark — a grade
  13. root — the cause
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. craft — boats
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mate — a partner
  19. root — of a plant
  20. tear — to rip
  21. root — of a word
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stand — for spectators

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