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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bound — obliged
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cell — a phone
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. land — to come down
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bound — certain
  16. stand — to bear
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. land — ground
  20. branch — a division
  21. bound — tied together
  22. tear — from crying
  23. land — a country
  24. branch — of a bank

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