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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wind — moving air
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. branch — a division
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cap — of ice
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cap — a lid
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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