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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. can — a tin
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. current — electric
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. rush — hurry
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. spring — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. branch — a division
  17. firm — steady
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. current — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. stand — to bear
  23. tear — from crying
  24. spring — the season

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