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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · tear · leaves · fine · present · ground · rock · spring

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. tear — from crying
  3. present — there
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ground — a position
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. tear — to rip
  9. ground — the earth
  10. tear — from crying
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rock — music
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. ground — crushed
  24. spring — the season

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