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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. tear — from crying
  7. toast — bread
  8. current — of water
  9. track — a path
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bat — the animal
  12. current — happening now
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. current — electric
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. tube — the underground
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — to keep track
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tube — a container
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. nail — on a finger

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