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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chair — a leader
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. tear — from crying
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. tear — from crying
  9. date — the fruit
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. deal — to handle
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. rest — what's left
  24. date — on the calendar

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