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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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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: spell · chip · wake · tear · nail · pass · rock · kick

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. spell — letters
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. spell — magic
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rock — music
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wake — a trail
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pass — a permit
  23. tear — from crying
  24. spell — a short time

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