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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · stand · tear · branch · chest · pass · leaves · hand

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. chest — of your body
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. branch — a division
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rock — music
  15. pass — a permit
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. chest — a box
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. hand — help
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. hand — in cards

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