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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. tear — from crying
  4. present — the time now
  5. rule — a law
  6. deal — to handle
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bear — the animal
  12. present — there
  13. tear — to rip
  14. present — a gift
  15. bear — the animal
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. branch — a division
  22. rule — government
  23. tear — from crying
  24. sharp — clever

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