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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 116 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mine — for digging
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mark — a grade
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mate — a friend
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mate — to breed
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mine — belonging to me

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