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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pitch — completely
  3. branch — a division
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. chip — for betting
  6. snap — to click
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. drill — the tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. tear — to rip
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. saw — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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