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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.

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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: lie · root · wound · trunk · tube · tear · last · stand

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. root — of a word
  4. last — finally
  5. root — of a plant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. tube — a container
  9. wound — an injury
  10. last — to go on
  11. tear — to rip
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. tear — from crying
  14. root — the cause
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wound — an injury
  20. tear — from crying
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. last — final
  24. lie — to recline

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