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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mug — a face
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. tear — to rip
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport

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