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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bear — the animal
  5. season — of the year
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lean — to bend
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bear — the animal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. tube — a container
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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