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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.

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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. tear — from crying
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bound — certain
  5. swing — music
  6. mate — to breed
  7. charge — electricity
  8. branch — a division
  9. mate — a partner
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bound — tied together
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mate — a friend
  16. tear — to rip
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bound — obliged

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