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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. foot — a measure
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. season — in sport
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cue — a hint
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. tear — to rip
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. tear — from crying
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. season — of the year
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cue — a signal
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stand — for spectators

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