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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: key · mug · mark · squash · lean · prune · trunk · rock

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. key — in music
  3. mug — a cup
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. lean — to bend
  7. key — the most important part
  8. prune — to trim
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mug — a face
  13. rock — a stone
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mark — a trace
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mark — a grade
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rock — music
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mug — to rob
  24. lean — to rest against

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