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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. present — the time now
  3. suit — clothes
  4. tear — to rip
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bank — for money
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — a position
  11. bank — for money
  12. suit — to fit
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. present — a gift
  15. spell — letters
  16. ground — the earth
  17. spell — magic
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. present — there
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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