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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: net · mate · spell · hand · rock · bound · tear · mark

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mark — a trace
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mark — a grade
  8. tear — to rip
  9. spell — a short time
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mate — a partner
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. bound — certain
  16. net — after costs
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. net — in sport
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rock — music
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mate — a friend
  24. hand — help

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