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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. toast — bread
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. sharp — clever
  7. tear — from crying
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. branch — a division
  19. season — of the year
  20. stock — shares
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stand — to bear

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