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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's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wound — an injury
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. branch — a division
  5. club — for dancing
  6. tear — from crying
  7. staff — employees
  8. tear — from crying
  9. club — for golf
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. can — a tin
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mark — a grade
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. club — a group
  19. roll — a list
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. tear — to rip
  24. roll — a cake

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