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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. squash — to crush
  6. content — the amount
  7. tear — from crying
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tear — to rip
  11. saw — the tool
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bear — the animal
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. saw — the tool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. content — happy

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