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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: last · pass · key · saw · trunk · prune · shower · racket

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. key — for a lock
  3. prune — to trim
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. last — finally
  9. key — in music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — the most important part
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. last — final
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. saw — the tool
  16. last — to go on
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pass — a permit
  22. shower — to wash
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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