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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stock — goods
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. face — to point toward
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. branch — a division
  10. face — part of the head
  11. tear — to rip
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bat — the animal
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. tear — from crying
  18. face — to confront
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. hand — help
  23. tear — from crying
  24. suit — in cards

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