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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: rest · date · bear · present · tube · tear · trunk · arm

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. present — a gift
  4. rest — what's left
  5. present — there
  6. rest — what's left
  7. tear — from crying
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. tear — to rip
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bear — the animal
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rest — a break
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. tube — a container
  20. present — the time now
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tube — the underground
  24. arm — part of the body

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