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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 120 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. fine — high quality
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. tear — from crying
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. staff — employees
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. branch — a division
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rash — hasty
  19. prune — to trim
  20. staff — employees
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fine — all right
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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