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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. spell — magic
  3. hand — help
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. tear — from crying
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fork — in a road
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bark — to shout
  17. spell — letters
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. content — the amount
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. content — happy

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