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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. tear — from crying
  3. row — a line
  4. craft — a skill
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rule — a law
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. can — a tin
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. can — a tin
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. toast — bread
  20. row — to paddle
  21. craft — boats
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rule — government
  24. tear — from crying

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