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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. march — the month
  4. band — a ring
  5. suit — in cards
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. tear — from crying
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. suit — to fit
  11. row — to paddle
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. suit — clothes
  14. season — in sport
  15. tear — to rip
  16. season — of the year
  17. march — the month
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. tear — from crying
  20. plane — a tool
  21. band — a music group
  22. march — music
  23. row — a line
  24. trunk — of a car

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