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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bear — the animal
  4. last — to go on
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. last — final
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — a division
  14. pound — a weight
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. last — finally
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. lie — to recline

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