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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. band — a ring
  6. present — the time now
  7. band — a music group
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. present — a gift
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bound — obliged
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bound — tied together
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. present — there
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bound — certain
  22. toast — bread
  23. tear — to rip
  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