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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rash — hasty
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. tear — to rip
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fall — the season
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rash — a series
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. craft — boats
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rush — hurry

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