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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. swing — music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rest — a break
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. root — of a word
  14. tear — from crying
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rest — what's left
  22. root — of a plant
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. root — the cause

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