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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. tear — to rip
  4. hand — help
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wake — a trail
  7. drill — the tool
  8. hand — in cards
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. drill — a practice
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. deal — to handle
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. drill — army training
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. tear — from crying
  24. trunk — of a car

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