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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. tear — from crying
  3. suit — in cards
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mine — for digging
  12. hand — in cards
  13. track — a song
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. track — a path
  16. tear — to rip
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. suit — clothes
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. tear — from crying
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. ruler — for measuring

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