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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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. pound — for dogs
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chest — a box
  7. track — a song
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. tear — to rip
  12. can — a tin
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pound — a weight
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. can — a tin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. branch — a division
  21. chest — of your body
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bear — the animal
  24. can — to be able to

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