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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. branch — a division
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pit — a hole
  11. tear — from crying
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bound — certain
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. land — a country
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. land — to come down
  22. tear — from crying
  23. land — ground
  24. bound — tied together

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