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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. tear — to rip
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. tear — from crying
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. saw — the tool
  17. foot — a measure
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wind — moving air
  20. degree — temperature
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. degree — from a university

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