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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ground — the earth
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. mug — a face
  9. tear — to rip
  10. ground — a position
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mate — a partner
  18. ground — crushed
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rule — a law
  24. mug — to rob

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