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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mark — a grade
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. board — a committee
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. tear — from crying
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. board — to get on
  19. kid — child
  20. mark — a trace
  21. kid — to tease
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. march — the month
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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