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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. suit — in cards
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. suit — clothes
  8. land — a country
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mug — a cup
  11. land — to come down
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. dip — to sink
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mug — a face
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. scale — in music
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. scale — size or range
  22. suit — to fit
  23. land — ground
  24. dip — to dunk

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