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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. tear — from crying
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. spell — magic
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bank — for money
  11. bass — low music
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. root — the cause
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. root — of a word
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pound — a weight
  19. spell — letters
  20. tear — from crying
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bank — of a river

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