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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. tear — to rip
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. land — to come down
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. object — an aim
  10. tube — the underground
  11. land — a country
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. land — ground
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. object — to protest
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. tube — a container
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wax — to grow

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