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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. season — in sport
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cue — a hint
  14. tear — to rip
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stem — to come from
  18. season — of the year
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cue — a signal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cue — for pool

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