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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. track — a path
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bound — certain
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rush — hurry
  13. hand — in cards
  14. suit — in cards
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. hand — help
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. branch — a division
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. suit — clothes

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