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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. kick — in football
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rest — what's left
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. file — a document
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stock — goods
  11. file — a tool
  12. rest — a break
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fork — in a road
  15. tear — to rip
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. tear — from crying
  21. branch — a division
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rest — what's left

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