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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: prune · rush · saw · lie · calf · foot · trunk · content

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. content — happy
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. content — the amount
  7. prune — to trim
  8. foot — a measure
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lie — to recline
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. lie — an untruth

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