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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. tear — from crying
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. spell — letters
  6. land — ground
  7. tear — to rip
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. current — happening now
  10. land — a country
  11. spell — magic
  12. current — of water
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bank — for money
  15. land — to come down
  16. current — electric
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bank — of a river
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. spell — a short time
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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