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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: firm · mug · tear · pop · branch · kid · toast · board

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. firm — decided
  3. mug — to rob
  4. kid — child
  5. pop — to visit
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mug — a face
  10. firm — a company
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. board — to get on
  15. tear — from crying
  16. board — a committee
  17. firm — steady
  18. tear — from crying
  19. kid — to tease
  20. branch — a division
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mug — a cup
  23. tear — to rip
  24. toast — bread

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