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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. band — a ring
  5. branch — a division
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. suit — clothes
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. suit — in cards
  12. band — a music group
  13. tear — from crying
  14. season — of the year
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. squash — the sport
  18. suit — to fit
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. squash — to crush
  23. last — finally
  24. dip — to sink

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