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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. object — a thing
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bark — to shout
  8. object — an aim
  9. tear — from crying
  10. content — the amount
  11. bank — for money
  12. object — to protest
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tear — from crying
  15. face — to confront
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. face — to point toward
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. content — happy
  24. trunk — of a tree

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