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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. tear — to rip
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. capital — money
  16. rest — a break
  17. tear — from crying
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. deal — to handle
  20. snap — to click
  21. rest — what's left
  22. capital — a city
  23. deal — an agreement
  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