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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 124 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: rest · cabinet · pop · deal · spell · bowl · lash · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pop — to visit
  6. spell — magic
  7. tear — from crying
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pop — music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tear — to rip
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pop — soda
  22. spell — letters
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rest — a break

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