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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cue — a signal
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fall — the season
  6. cue — a hint
  7. present — there
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. present — a gift
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. branch — a division
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. tear — from crying
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fall — to drop
  20. present — the time now
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tear — from crying
  24. saw — the tool

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