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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. tear — from crying
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. tear — to rip
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tear — from crying
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. branch — a division

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