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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rest — a break
  4. tear — from crying
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. staff — a stick
  8. tear — from crying
  9. staff — employees
  10. bark — to shout
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. track — a song
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. tear — to rip
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rest — what's left
  18. track — a path
  19. snap — to click
  20. track — to keep track
  21. branch — a division
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. staff — employees
  24. rest — what's left

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