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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: mine · net · tear · wake · trunk · fan · pass · bear

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. tear — from crying
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. net — after costs
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. tear — to rip
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. net — in sport
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mine — for digging
  24. net — for catching

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