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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. tear — from crying
  4. branch — a division
  5. mug — to rob
  6. tear — from crying
  7. plane — a tool
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stock — shares
  11. mug — a cup
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mug — a face
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. face — to point toward
  19. tear — to rip
  20. snap — to click
  21. stock — goods
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. stock — a soup base

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