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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · rash · pop · land · bowl · fine · tear · calf

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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. spell — a short time
  4. rash — hasty
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rash — a series
  7. land — to come down
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pop — soda
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pop — music
  16. fine — all right
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. spell — magic
  19. land — a country
  20. land — ground
  21. spell — letters
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. tear — from crying

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