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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. tear — to rip
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rock — music
  14. bank — for money
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bank — for money
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rock — a stone
  23. jam — in traffic
  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