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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stand — to bear
  4. drill — army training
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rest — a break
  7. rash — hasty
  8. tear — from crying
  9. deal — to handle
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. club — a group
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. drill — a practice
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rash — a series
  24. squash — to crush

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