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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. tear — to rip
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chest — of your body
  12. firm — decided
  13. wake — a trail
  14. branch — a division
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. firm — steady
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. tear — from crying
  22. firm — a company
  23. fall — to drop
  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