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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bank — of a river
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bank — for money
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. bank — for money
  24. bowl — a dish

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