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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: mine · lash · prune · firm · rock · shower · trunk · staff

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. firm — steady
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. firm — a company
  9. staff — employees
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. staff — employees
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. staff — a stick
  17. shower — rain
  18. firm — decided
  19. rock — music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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