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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. court — for sport
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — a container
  8. bank — for money
  9. lean — thin
  10. rash — a series
  11. lean — to bend
  12. spell — magic
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bank — of a river
  19. spell — letters
  20. rash — hasty
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. spell — a short time
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rash — on the skin

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