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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. tube — a container
  3. tear — from crying
  4. can — a tin
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. branch — a division
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fine — all right
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lie — to recline
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. tear — to rip
  23. fine — high quality
  24. can — a tin

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