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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. file — a line of people
  5. tear — from crying
  6. present — the time now
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. tear — to rip
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. file — a tool
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. file — a document
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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