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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 124 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. ball — a great time
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. snap — to click
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mark — a grade
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. tear — from crying
  17. key — in music
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mark — a trace
  22. craft — boats
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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