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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. tear — to rip
  3. staff — employees
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. branch — a division
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. staff — employees
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bark — to shout
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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