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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 120 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a document
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. staff — employees
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mug — a cup
  13. staff — employees
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mug — to rob
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mug — a face
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tear — to rip

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