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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 116 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. swing — to play on
  3. tear — from crying
  4. branch — a division
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. swing — music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. tear — to rip
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. cabinet — ministers

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