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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. band — a music group
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. spring — a coil
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. suit — clothes
  8. tear — to rip
  9. branch — a division
  10. tear — from crying
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. spring — of water
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. spring — the season
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. band — a ring
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cabinet — ministers

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