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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rash — a series
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. suit — to fit
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. race — the arms race
  11. tear — to rip
  12. suit — in cards
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. race — a contest
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. race — humankind
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bark — to shout

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