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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. tear — to rip
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. race — a contest
  10. bulb — for light
  11. race — humankind
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. clip — for paper
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tear — from crying
  21. clip — a video
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. race — the arms race
  24. clip — to cut

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