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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 120 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. charge — in control
  5. bear — the animal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. branch — a division
  16. swing — in golf
  17. charge — a price
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. tear — to rip
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ball — a great time

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