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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tear — from crying
  4. content — happy
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bank — for money
  8. craft — boats
  9. content — the amount
  10. spell — letters
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bank — for money
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pitch — completely
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. spell — magic
  22. rest — a break
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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