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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. branch — a division
  6. lean — to bend
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tear — to rip
  11. suit — to fit
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. lean — thin
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. toast — bread
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — in cards
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. kick — in football

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