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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. tear — from crying
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rush — hurry
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bass — low music
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. jam — a tight spot

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