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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bank — of a river
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stock — shares
  5. bank — for money
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stock — goods
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. tear — to rip
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bank — for money
  17. tear — from crying
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. tear — from crying
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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