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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. craft — boats
  3. firm — a company
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rush — hurry
  10. tear — from crying
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. firm — steady
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. firm — decided
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. 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