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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bank — of a river
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. firm — a company
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rest — a break
  8. tear — from crying
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bank — for money
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rest — what's left
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mark — a trace
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rest — what's left
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mark — a grade
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bank — for money

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