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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: trunk · straw · rash · prune · fine · mug · court · face

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. face — to point toward
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rash — a series
  11. mug — a face
  12. fine — all right
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. court — of law
  16. face — to confront
  17. mug — to rob
  18. face — part of the head
  19. prune — to trim
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. rash — hasty
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fine — a penalty

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