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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.

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: fan · tear · trunk · bat · leaves · shower · bay · bass

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bat — the animal
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bass — low music
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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