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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bank — of a river
  11. chip — to eat
  12. season — in sport
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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