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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: dip · lean · jam · tear · board · track · branch · saw

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lean — to bend
  3. saw — the tool
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. board — to get on
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. tear — from crying
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. board — a committee
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. dip — to sink
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. track — a song
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. saw — the tool
  24. tear — to rip

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