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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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. season — of the year
  3. bank — for money
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spell — magic
  8. bank — of a river
  9. content — the amount
  10. fall — the season
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. current — of water
  14. tear — to rip
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lie — to recline
  17. content — happy
  18. season — in sport
  19. tear — from crying
  20. current — happening now
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. current — electric
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bank — for money

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