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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 120 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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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. tear — to rip
  3. can — a tin
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. can — a tin
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. can — to be able to
  12. stock — goods
  13. tear — from crying
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mine — for digging
  18. branch — of a tree

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