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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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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: trunk · season · wind · fan · lie · bay · tear · can

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. season — in sport
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wind — moving air
  11. season — of the year
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lie — to recline
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tear — to rip
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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