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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: present · nail · trunk · pit · bore · bay · prune · last

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. present — there
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. present — the time now
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. prune — to trim
  10. last — final
  11. pit — a hole
  12. last — to go on
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. last — finally
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — a gift

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