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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: present · spell · deal · branch · mug · tear · bay · lie

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. present — a gift
  3. tear — to rip
  4. present — there
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. spell — a short time
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mug — a face
  12. branch — a division
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mug — to rob
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. present — the time now
  23. tear — from crying
  24. spell — magic

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