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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. branch — a division
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. net — after costs
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tear — to rip
  19. net — in sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. net — for catching

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