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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. squash — the sport
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. spell — letters
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. spell — magic
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. capital — money
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. suit — in cards
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. capital — a city
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. capital — a big letter

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