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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. band — a music group
  4. scale — size or range
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mark — a grade
  10. scale — in music
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. band — a ring
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rock — a stone
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rock — music
  24. tear — from crying

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