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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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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bank — for money
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pop — to visit
  11. tear — from crying
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. spell — letters
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. pop — music
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spell — magic
  19. bass — low music
  20. bank — of a river
  21. tear — from crying
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pop — soda
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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