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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stock — goods
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pop — to visit
  10. branch — a division
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pop — music
  13. land — ground
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stock — shares
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pop — soda
  18. land — to come down
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bore — to drill
  23. land — a country
  24. lie — an untruth

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