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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. snap — to click
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. can — a tin
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. squash — the sport
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tear — from crying
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fork — in a road
  22. can — to be able to
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. racket — for tennis

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