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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 120 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mug — a face
  4. tear — to rip
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. suit — clothes
  10. tear — from crying
  11. branch — a division
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. object — to protest
  15. stand — to bear
  16. object — an aim
  17. mug — to rob
  18. object — a thing
  19. suit — in cards
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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