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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. present — the time now
  4. branch — a division
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tear — to rip
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. present — a gift
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. toast — bread
  18. board — to get on
  19. present — there
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. tear — from crying
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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