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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 120 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: stick · rush · prune · calf · chest · rest · trunk · arm

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rest — what's left
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rest — a break
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. prune — to trim
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rush — a thrill

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