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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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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: stick · bore · fall · content · bank · hand · prune · trunk

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. content — the amount
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. fall — to drop
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. hand — help
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. content — happy
  16. bank — for money
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bank — for money
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fall — the season
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fall — to drop

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