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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. charge — in control
  5. tear — from crying
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — to fit
  11. can — to be able to
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. can — a tin
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. suit — in cards
  19. charge — electricity
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. can — a tin
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. branch — a division

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