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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 124 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tear — from crying
  3. spell — a short time
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rest — what's left
  8. spell — magic
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spell — letters
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. stand — to bear
  19. hand — help
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rest — a break
  22. tear — from crying
  23. chip — to eat
  24. hand — in cards

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