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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · suit · straw · branch · tear · board · dip · mug

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bank — for money
  7. branch — a division
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mug — a cup
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bank — for money
  12. mug — to rob
  13. suit — in cards
  14. board — to get on
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mug — a face
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. tear — to rip
  20. suit — clothes
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. board — a committee
  24. dip — to sink

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