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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: prune · straw · nail · trunk · wind · fan · plane · rule

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rule — government
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wind — moving air
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. prune — to trim
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wind — moving air
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. plane — a tool

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