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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. track — a song
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rule — government
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. firm — decided
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. firm — a company
  18. rule — a law
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. track — a path
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. firm — steady

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