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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. drill — army training
  9. lean — to bend
  10. suit — clothes
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pop — soda
  13. suit — to fit
  14. lean — thin
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pop — music
  17. tear — from crying
  18. drill — a practice
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pop — to visit
  21. drill — the tool
  22. kid — child
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. suit — in cards

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