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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 124 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. spring — of water
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. swing — to play on
  5. last — finally
  6. tear — to rip
  7. swing — in golf
  8. track — to keep track
  9. tear — from crying
  10. spring — the season
  11. roll — a list
  12. last — to go on
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. swing — music
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. tear — from crying
  18. spring — a coil
  19. track — a song
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. track — a path
  22. can — a tin
  23. roll — a cake
  24. last — final

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