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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. shower — rain
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. tear — to rip
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. shower — to wash
  17. tear — from crying
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rush — to hurry
  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