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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rush — hurry
  8. object — an aim
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tear — from crying
  11. object — a thing
  12. tube — a container
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. object — to protest
  15. file — a document
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. file — a tool
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bear — the animal
  22. file — a line of people
  23. tear — from crying
  24. branch — a division

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