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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 120 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: saw · deal · spell · dip · staff · row · pass · tear

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. tear — from crying
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. dip — to sink
  5. tear — to rip
  6. staff — employees
  7. spell — magic
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. spell — letters
  10. tear — from crying
  11. deal — to handle
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. spell — a short time
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. row — a line
  21. pass — a permit
  22. saw — the tool
  23. staff — employees
  24. deal — a big deal

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