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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: spell · wound · prune · lean · staff · trunk · ball · mug

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. ball — a great time
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. staff — employees
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. spell — letters
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mug — to rob
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. staff — a stick
  13. spell — magic
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ball — a dance
  16. spell — a short time
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wound — an injury
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. lean — thin
  21. staff — employees
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mug — a face
  24. wound — an injury

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