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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: bear · can · branch · tear · wind · hand · temple · rash

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. wind — moving air
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rash — a series
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bear — the animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. can — a tin
  13. branch — a division
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wind — moving air
  16. can — a tin
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rash — hasty

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