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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. roll — a list
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. object — a thing
  6. bank — for money
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. object — an aim
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bank — of a river
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pit — in a race
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bore — to tire
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. object — to protest
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bank — for money

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