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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. branch — a division
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bark — to shout
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. dip — to sink
  10. object — an aim
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. object — a thing
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. object — to protest
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. sharp — clever
  22. ball — a dance
  23. swing — music
  24. tear — from crying

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