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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 116 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. land — a country
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. suit — clothes
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. land — to come down
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — the animal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. land — ground
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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