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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. tear — to rip
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. swing — music
  5. land — to come down
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. craft — boats
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. craft — a skill
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. land — a country
  15. branch — a division
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. swing — to play on
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. land — ground
  24. mouse — 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