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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pop — music
  5. bound — obliged
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pop — to visit
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bound — certain
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pop — soda
  15. season — of the year
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bound — tied together

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