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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. spell — a short time
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. tear — to rip
  9. spell — magic
  10. cap — a lid
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cap — a hat
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wake — a trail
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rule — government
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bank — for money
  23. key — in music
  24. rule — a law

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