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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · trunk · file · land · prune · mug · craft · deal

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. land — to come down
  4. prune — to trim
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. file — a document
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. land — a country
  12. mug — a cup
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. deal — to handle
  18. land — ground
  19. file — a line of people
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mug — to rob
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. file — 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