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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. dip — to sink
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rush — hurry
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stock — shares
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. key — for a lock
  22. branch — a division
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stock — goods

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