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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. snap — to click
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. branch — a division
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. tear — to rip
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. deal — to handle
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. can — to be able to
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. tear — from crying
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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