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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bank — for money
  4. band — a music group
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fork — in a road
  7. ground — a position
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cell — a phone
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bank — for money
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. band — a ring
  19. snap — to click
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. tear — to rip

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