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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rock — a stone
  9. net — after costs
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. tear — from crying
  12. clip — a video
  13. net — in sport
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rock — music
  20. clip — for paper
  21. net — for catching
  22. bass — low music
  23. tear — to rip
  24. clip — to cut

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