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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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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: rock · rush · trunk · rest · arm · roll · net · prune

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. net — after costs
  3. rest — what's left
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. prune — to trim
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rock — music
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. roll — a cake
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. roll — a list
  16. rest — a break
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rock — a stone
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rest — what's left
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rush — hurry

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