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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. track — a path
  4. rush — hurry
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — to keep track
  8. tear — from crying
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. net — after costs
  13. kick — in football
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. net — for catching
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. tear — from crying
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. track — a song
  20. net — in sport
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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