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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.

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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. tear — to rip
  3. chest — a box
  4. squash — the sport
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. squash — to crush
  8. tube — a container
  9. lean — to bend
  10. chest — of your body
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lean — thin
  18. craft — a skill
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. craft — boats
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. squash — the vegetable

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