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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. land — a country
  3. tear — from crying
  4. land — to come down
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pit — in a race
  7. object — a thing
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. land — ground
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tear — from crying
  20. deal — to handle
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pit — a hole
  23. branch — a division
  24. tear — to rip

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