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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cue — a signal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ball — a dance
  16. firm — steady
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. firm — a company
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. firm — decided

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