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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: perch · race · bore · nail · trunk · plane · prune · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. race — a contest
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bore — to tire
  9. race — humankind
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. prune — to trim
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. prune — to trim
  19. race — the arms race
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. perch — the fish
  23. plane — a tool
  24. perch — for a bird

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