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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: tear · track · bank · trunk · land · bear · hide · sharp

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bank — of a river
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bear — the animal
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bank — for money
  11. track — a song
  12. sharp — clever
  13. tear — from crying
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bank — for money
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. land — a country
  20. track — a path
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bear — the animal
  24. tear — from crying

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