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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. can — a tin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rash — a series
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. can — a tin
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rush — hurry
  24. can — to be able to

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