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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. fall — to drop
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. present — the time now
  8. stand — to bear
  9. land — ground
  10. land — a country
  11. present — a gift
  12. can — a tin
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rest — what's left
  15. can — a tin
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. present — there
  21. tear — from crying
  22. land — to come down
  23. tear — to rip
  24. can — to be able to

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