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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: hand · bowl · jam · saw · lash · prune · nail · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. saw — the tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hand — in cards
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hand — help
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. trunk — of a car

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