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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 was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. can — a tin
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. can — a tin
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wind — moving air
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. branch — a division
  24. foot — a measure

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