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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 116 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. saw — the tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tear — to rip
  7. season — of the year
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. season — in sport
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. object — a thing
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. chair — a leader
  21. tear — from crying
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. capital — a city
  24. trunk — of a tree

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