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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fall — the season
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. current — happening now
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. current — electric
  11. tear — to rip
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. tear — from crying
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fall — to drop
  17. current — of water
  18. wave — of the sea

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