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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 116 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. tear — from crying
  3. branch — a division
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tear — from crying
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chip — for betting
  8. scale — in music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rock — a stone
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rock — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rest — a break
  18. dip — to sink
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. tear — to rip
  21. chip — to eat
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. dip — to dunk

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