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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: prune · trunk · fork · leaves · cabinet · rock · deal · perch

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rock — music
  4. fork — in a road
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rock — a stone
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. deal — to handle
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cabinet — ministers

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