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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. tear — from crying
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — a division
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pass — a permit
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. suit — to fit
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. staff — employees
  13. suit — in cards
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. staff — employees
  16. squash — to crush
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wake — a trail
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. hide — animal skin

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