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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. object — a thing
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. sharp — clever
  5. suit — clothes
  6. tube — a container
  7. object — to protest
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. shower — rain
  12. pass — a permit
  13. tear — from crying
  14. suit — to fit
  15. tear — to rip
  16. branch — a division
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. suit — in cards
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. tube — the underground
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. object — an aim

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