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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: prune · kick · bore · charge · trunk · court · rock · cue

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. court — for sport
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cue — for pool
  8. court — of a king
  9. bore — to tire
  10. kick — in football
  11. charge — in control
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rock — a stone
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. charge — a price
  16. cue — a signal
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cue — a hint
  20. court — of law
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rock — music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. trunk — of a tree

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