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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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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: cap · spell · cell · tear · hide · track · pass · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. tear — to rip
  3. spell — letters
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cap — a lid
  7. tear — from crying
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spell — a short time
  10. track — a path
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cell — a phone
  13. track — a song
  14. cap — of ice
  15. spell — magic
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. track — to keep track
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cell — in biology
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cap — a hat

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