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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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. trunk — of a car
  4. fall — to drop
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. track — a song
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fall — to drop
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. track — a path
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. perch — the fish
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. track — to keep track

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