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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. tear — from crying
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bound — obliged
  5. can — a tin
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. tear — to rip
  8. club — for golf
  9. craft — boats
  10. club — for dancing
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mark — a grade
  13. can — to be able to
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bound — tied together
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. tear — from crying
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. club — a group
  23. bound — certain
  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