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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: wound · rule · pitcher · bank · spell · tear · content · bay

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bank — for money
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. content — the amount
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. tear — from crying
  15. content — happy
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. rule — a law
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. spell — letters
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. spell — magic
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pitcher — a jug

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