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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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 bank
  2. firm — decided
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. spring — of water
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. tear — from crying
  7. charge — in control
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. charge — a price
  12. spring — a coil
  13. tear — to rip
  14. spring — the season
  15. sharp — clever
  16. firm — steady
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. branch — a division
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. firm — a company
  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