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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. fall — the season
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tear — from crying
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bore — to tire
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fall — to drop
  13. chip — for betting
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ball — a dance
  18. tear — to rip
  19. prune — to trim
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. trunk — of a tree

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