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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mine — for digging
  5. suit — to fit
  6. branch — a division
  7. staff — employees
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. tear — to rip
  13. suit — clothes
  14. staff — employees
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. ball — a dance
  20. suit — in cards
  21. ball — a great time
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. tear — from crying

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