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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 120 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: deal · prune · rush · lie · chip · trunk · bear · sharp

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bear — the animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. chip — to eat
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. rush — hurry
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bear — the animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. chip — in a computer

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