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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. tear — from crying
  4. content — the amount
  5. season — in sport
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. season — of the year
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fall — the season
  10. bank — of a river
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. tear — from crying
  14. hand — help
  15. bank — for money
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. content — happy
  19. fall — to drop
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tear — to rip
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. content — videos and posts

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