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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rest — what's left
  5. capital — a city
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rest — what's left
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rest — a break
  11. suit — clothes
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. tear — from crying
  14. snap — to click
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bat — the animal
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. suit — in cards
  22. tear — to rip
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. suit — to fit

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