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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. tear — from crying
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. swing — to play on
  9. tear — to rip
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. swing — music
  17. stock — goods
  18. branch — a division
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bank — for money
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stock — shares
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. tear — from crying

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