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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. present — there
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. field — farmland
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. can — to be able to
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wind — moving air
  13. field — a subject
  14. tear — from crying
  15. field — for sport
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. present — the time now
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. present — a gift
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fall — the season

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