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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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. race — a contest
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spell — magic
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bank — of a river
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. tear — to rip
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spell — letters
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — after costs
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. race — the arms race
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. tear — from crying
  23. race — humankind
  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