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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. game — wild animals
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. tear — to rip
  5. sharp — clever
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. tear — from crying
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. tear — from crying
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lean — thin
  15. pass — a permit
  16. game — a match
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pass — to spend time

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