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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. shower — rain
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mug — a face
  7. bulb — for light
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lean — thin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mug — a cup
  14. branch — a division
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lean — to bend
  22. sharp — clever
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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