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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bank — of a river
  6. spell — letters
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bank — for money
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ground — a position
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wake — a trail
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bank — for money
  21. spell — magic
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. ground — the earth

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