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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: can · plane · snap · trunk · date · perch · prune · straw

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. prune — to trim
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. can — to be able to
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. snap — to click
  17. can — a tin
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. can — a tin
  20. prune — to trim
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. plane — a tool

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