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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rest — what's left
  3. firm — decided
  4. kid — to tease
  5. tear — from crying
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. pop — music
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. firm — a company
  13. branch — a division
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kid — child
  18. tear — to rip
  19. chip — for betting
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. firm — steady
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pop — soda
  24. calf — a young animal

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