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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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. tear — from crying
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. tear — to rip
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. craft — boats
  8. bank — for money
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. tube — a container
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bank — of a river
  15. craft — a skill
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tear — from crying
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. bank — for money
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. tube — the underground

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