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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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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. tear — to rip
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. plane — a tool
  14. craft — boats
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. branch — a division
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wind — moving air
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wave — with your hand

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