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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 124 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. net — for catching
  3. tear — from crying
  4. net — in sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pass — a permit
  8. net — after costs
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. can — a tin
  19. bore — to tire
  20. branch — a division
  21. tear — from crying
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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