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

Word bank: stick · pass · tear · band · mark · spring · spell · bank

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bank — for money
  3. spell — a short time
  4. band — a ring
  5. tear — from crying
  6. band — a music group
  7. bank — of a river
  8. spell — magic
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. mark — a grade
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bank — for money
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spell — letters
  22. spring — a coil
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pass — to succeed

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