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

Word bank: wound · rash · tear · sharp · branch · suit · dip · stand

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rash — hasty
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rash — a series
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. branch — a division
  7. wound — an injury
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. suit — in cards
  11. tear — from crying
  12. sharp — clever
  13. suit — to fit
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. suit — clothes
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. tear — to rip
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rash — on the skin

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