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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pound — a weight
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fork — in a road
  20. branch — a division
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. staff — employees
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rush — to hurry

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