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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. tear — to rip
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bank — for money
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bank — of a river
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pitch — completely

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