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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 116 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 · nail · bank · ball · tear · leaves · rest · pound

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pound — a weight
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ball — a dance
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bank — for money
  11. tear — to rip
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bank — for money
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rest — a break
  20. ball — a great time
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rest — what's left
  24. leaves — 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