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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
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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: roll · tear · present · dip · cold · spell · ball · board

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. roll — a list
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cold — not warm
  9. spell — a short time
  10. board — to get on
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cold — an illness
  13. ball — a dance
  14. dip — to sink
  15. present — there
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. present — the time now
  19. roll — a cake
  20. tear — from crying
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. board — a committee
  23. ball — a great time
  24. present — a gift

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