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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: mark · pop · deal · present · rule · tear · spell · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. pop — soda
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. tear — from crying
  5. present — a gift
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pop — music
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. spell — magic
  11. present — the time now
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pop — to visit
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mark — a trace
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rule — a law
  20. spell — letters
  21. present — there
  22. rule — government
  23. mark — a grade
  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