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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. row — to paddle
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. object — an aim
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. object — to protest
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rest — what's left
  17. kick — in football
  18. rest — a break
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. tear — to rip
  23. object — a thing
  24. cap — a lid

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