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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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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: rule · tear · pit · pound · spell · season · clip · sharp

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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. sharp — exactly
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. clip — for paper
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. clip — a video
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. season — in sport
  12. rule — government
  13. season — of the year
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pound — a weight
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. rule — a law
  21. clip — to cut
  22. sharp — clever
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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