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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.

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: squash · toast · trunk · prune · wound · dip · board · net

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wound — an injury
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. squash — the sport
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. net — after costs
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. net — in sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. toast — bread
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wound — an injury
  24. net — for catching

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