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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: perch · tear · kid · rock · bank · pit · spell · press

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. tear — to rip
  6. spell — a short time
  7. tear — from crying
  8. press — newspapers
  9. spell — letters
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kid — child
  14. press — a publisher
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rock — music
  17. press — to push
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bank — for money
  22. tear — from crying
  23. spell — magic
  24. bank — for money

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