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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. tear — from crying
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mate — to breed
  8. suit — in cards
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. suit — clothes
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rush — hurry
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mate — a friend
  22. toast — bread
  23. tear — to rip
  24. squash — to crush

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