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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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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: roll · bank · spell · squash · tear · board · ground · plane

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bank — for money
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ground — crushed
  7. board — a committee
  8. spell — a short time
  9. plane — a tool
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. spell — magic
  14. roll — a list
  15. board — to get on
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bank — of a river
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. squash — the sport
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. spell — letters
  23. tear — from crying
  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