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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. tear — to rip
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. spring — the season
  8. branch — a division
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. spring — of water
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. season — in sport
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. tear — from crying
  21. season — of the year
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stand — to bear
  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