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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bank — for money
  3. band — a ring
  4. can — to be able to
  5. band — a music group
  6. tear — to rip
  7. firm — a company
  8. lean — thin
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. firm — steady
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. can — a tin
  15. bank — of a river
  16. firm — decided
  17. lean — to bend
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bank — for money
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitcher — a jug

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