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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: prune · spring · saw · leaves · straw · stick · bulb · trunk

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spring — of water
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. saw — the tool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spring — a coil
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. spring — the season
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bulb — for light
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. prune — the fruit

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