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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. present — there
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. race — a contest
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. race — the arms race
  11. tear — to rip
  12. rock — a stone
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. race — humankind
  15. bark — to shout
  16. tear — from crying
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pit — a hole
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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