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

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bound — tied together
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bound — certain
  7. tear — from crying
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — for digging
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. saw — the tool

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