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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bear — the animal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. branch — a division
  12. tear — to rip
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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