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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. tube — a container
  3. net — in sport
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitch — completely
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lie — to recline
  13. net — for catching
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. net — after costs
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. snap — to click

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