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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: content · file · rock · pitch · present · leaves · tear · trunk

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. present — a gift
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. content — the amount
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. present — the time now
  11. rock — music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. content — happy
  15. file — a tool
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rock — a stone
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. present — there
  22. file — a document
  23. pitch — completely
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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