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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. tear — to rip
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. club — for golf
  21. fall — the season
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bark — to shout
  24. branch — a division

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