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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. tear — from crying
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. scale — size or range
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. branch — a division
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rash — hasty
  17. scale — in music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rash — a series
  24. tear — to rip

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