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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 116 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. tear — to rip
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. prune — to trim
  8. current — of water
  9. kid — to tease
  10. hand — in cards
  11. kid — child
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tear — from crying
  16. press — to push
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ball — a dance
  22. tear — from crying
  23. prune — to trim
  24. hand — help

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