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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tear — from crying
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bank — for money
  5. tear — from crying
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bank — of a river
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mine — for digging
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. suit — clothes
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bank — for money
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. tear — to rip
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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