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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: bay · leaves · bore · trunk · stand · pop · ground · tear

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. pop — soda
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. ground — crushed
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stand — to bear
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. ground — a position
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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