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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 120 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. squash — to crush
  3. spell — letters
  4. charge — in control
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bank — of a river
  8. spell — a short time
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. lie — to recline
  21. tear — from crying
  22. charge — a price
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spell — magic

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