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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · hide · lash · straw · can · prune · safe · present

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. prune — to trim
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. prune — to trim
  5. present — the time now
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. present — a gift
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. can — to be able to
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. present — there
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. safe — out of danger

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