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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: trunk · bear · firm · tear · rest · bay

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rest — a break
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bear — the animal
  5. firm — a company
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. firm — decided
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. tear — from crying
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. firm — steady

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