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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 120 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. land — to come down
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. court — for sport
  7. saw — the tool
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. land — ground
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. court — of law
  15. suit — to fit
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. land — a country
  18. suit — in cards
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. suit — clothes
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tear — from crying
  24. court — of a king

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