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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tear — from crying
  3. court — for sport
  4. can — to be able to
  5. tear — to rip
  6. drill — the tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. current — happening now
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. tube — a container
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. current — electric
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. drill — army training
  16. tube — the underground
  17. current — of water
  18. court — of a king
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. court — of law
  22. tear — from crying
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. drill — a practice

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