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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · tear · stick · pound · trunk · stand

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pound — a weight
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stand — to bear
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. trunk — of an elephant

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