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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bear — the animal
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. file — a document
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. file — a tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. file — a line of people
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. dip — to sink
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wake — a trail

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