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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 · rush · stand · chip · tear · stick · ground · temple

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. tear — to rip
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rush — hurry
  10. ground — a position
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. tear — from crying
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. tear — from crying
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. ground — crushed
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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