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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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468
Word bank
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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wax — to grow
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. key — in music
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. board — to get on
  20. chip — to eat
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. key — for a lock
  24. chip — for betting

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