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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · ball · chip · tear · pass · drill · cold · branch

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. spell — magic
  3. branch — a division
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. tear — from crying
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — an illness
  11. tear — to rip
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cold — not warm
  15. drill — army training
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. spell — letters
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ball — a dance
  21. chip — for betting
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ball — a great time

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