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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. tear — to rip
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lean — to bend
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rest — what's left
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fork — in a road
  16. band — a ring
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. band — a music group
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rest — a break
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. bark — to shout
  24. lean — thin

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