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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. clip — for paper
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. clip — a video
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bank — for money
  11. clip — to cut
  12. suit — to fit
  13. tear — from crying
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. suit — in cards
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bank — for money

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