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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. branch — a division
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stand — to bear
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tear — to rip
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lie — to recline
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mark — a trace
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rash — a series
  21. track — a song
  22. tear — from crying
  23. track — a path
  24. mark — a grade

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