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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stock — shares
  4. saw — the tool
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. tear — to rip
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rash — hasty
  11. land — a country
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tear — from crying
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. land — to come down
  21. saw — the tool
  22. land — ground
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stock — goods

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