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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: row · foot · spell · tear · mine · deal · fan · key

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. tear — from crying
  3. deal — to handle
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. spell — letters
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mine — for digging
  11. spell — magic
  12. key — in music
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. tear — to rip
  22. row — a line
  23. foot — a measure
  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