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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: cue · leaves · tear · trunk · firm · drill · date · roll

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. tear — to rip
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. drill — the tool
  8. date — the fruit
  9. firm — steady
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. tear — from crying
  14. firm — a company
  15. drill — a practice
  16. firm — decided
  17. cue — for pool
  18. roll — a cake
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cue — a hint
  21. drill — army training
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cue — a signal
  24. date — on the calendar

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