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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. field — farmland
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. field — for sport
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ground — crushed
  23. field — a subject
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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