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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  2. object — a thing
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. tear — to rip
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. net — for catching
  8. content — the amount
  9. plane — a tool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. object — an aim
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. net — in sport
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. tear — from crying
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. net — after costs
  20. content — happy
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. object — to protest
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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