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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rush — hurry
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. deal — to handle
  6. file — a document
  7. suit — to fit
  8. tear — from crying
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. tear — from crying
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. foot — a measure
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. track — a path
  21. file — a line of people
  22. track — a song
  23. file — a tool
  24. tear — to rip

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