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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bank — for money
  3. content — the amount
  4. tear — to rip
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. degree — from a university
  7. content — happy
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. tear — from crying
  11. clip — to cut
  12. degree — an amount
  13. can — a tin
  14. clip — a video
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bank — for money
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. degree — temperature

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