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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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. roll — on a roll
  4. spell — a short time
  5. scale — in music
  6. bank — for money
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bank — for money
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. roll — a cake
  14. scale — size or range
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. roll — a list
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. spell — letters
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ground — a position

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