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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bank — for money
  3. track — a song
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. tear — from crying
  8. spell — magic
  9. track — a path
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ball — a great time
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tear — to rip
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bank — for money
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. arm — part of the body

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