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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. file — a tool
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. suit — clothes
  6. tear — from crying
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. tear — to rip
  9. fine — high quality
  10. suit — in cards
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. file — a document
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. kick — in football
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. branch — a division
  20. fine — all right
  21. file — a line of people
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bound — obliged
  24. kick — with a leg

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