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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mark — a trace
  3. tear — from crying
  4. object — to protest
  5. rest — what's left
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. tear — to rip
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bank — for money
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — for money
  20. object — a thing
  21. rest — a break
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bank — of a river
  24. object — an aim

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