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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cold — an illness
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bank — for money
  9. tear — to rip
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bank — for money
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ground — a position
  18. can — a tin
  19. bank — of a river
  20. tear — from crying
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part 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