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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 120 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lie — to recline
  3. tear — from crying
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rest — what's left
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rest — a break
  9. degree — an amount
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pass — a permit
  12. squash — the sport
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. tear — to rip

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