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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 120 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 is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. tube — a container
  8. firm — a company
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. branch — a division
  12. bank — for money
  13. chip — for betting
  14. tear — from crying
  15. firm — steady
  16. snap — to click
  17. tube — the underground
  18. firm — decided
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chip — to eat

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