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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. tear — from crying
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cap — a lid
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cap — a hat
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cue — a hint
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. branch — a division
  21. bear — the animal
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bear — the animal

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