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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 116 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: mine · tear · trunk · rock · race · can · ground · spring

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. race — the arms race
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ground — crushed
  5. race — a contest
  6. ground — a position
  7. can — a tin
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mine — for digging
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rock — a stone
  14. spring — of water
  15. race — humankind
  16. ground — the earth
  17. can — a tin
  18. spring — the season
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. tear — from crying
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rock — music
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mine — belonging to me

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