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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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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: snap · pop · staff · kid · tear · rule · wind · bowl

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. staff — employees
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rule — a law
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wind — moving air
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. pop — music
  10. staff — employees
  11. tear — from crying
  12. kid — child
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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