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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. staff — employees
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. club — for golf
  6. track — a path
  7. staff — a stick
  8. club — a group
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. club — for dancing
  13. staff — employees
  14. tear — to rip
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. branch — a division
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. tear — from crying
  23. track — a song
  24. bear — the animal

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