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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kick · spell · trunk · prune · shower · leaves · pitch · foot

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. spell — letters
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. spell — a short time
  6. shower — rain
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. foot — a measure
  12. pitch — completely
  13. kick — in football
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. prune — to trim
  19. shower — to wash
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. spell — magic
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  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