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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. can — to be able to
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. tear — from crying
  5. row — a line
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. tube — the underground
  8. stand — to bear
  9. object — to protest
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. object — an aim
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. object — a thing
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. branch — a division
  24. tube — a container

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