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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: bowl · charge · leaves · tear · deal · field · spring · mate

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. charge — in control
  8. field — for sport
  9. mate — a friend
  10. spring — a coil
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mate — a partner
  13. spring — of water
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mate — to breed
  16. charge — a price
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. spring — the season
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. deal — to handle
  22. field — a subject
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. field — farmland

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