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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: ground · rule · tear · mark · scale · branch · sharp · wound

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. scale — size or range
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. ground — a position
  9. branch — a division
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tear — from crying
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rule — government
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mark — a grade
  17. sharp — clever
  18. scale — in music
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rule — a law
  24. ground — the earth

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