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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. spell — letters
  3. branch — a division
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bank — for money
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bank — of a river
  12. spell — magic
  13. race — humankind
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. tube — a container
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. tear — from crying
  19. race — a contest
  20. spell — a short time
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stand — to bear
  24. tube — the underground

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