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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. tear — from crying
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. deal — to handle
  6. plane — a tool
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. current — of water
  11. tear — to rip
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. current — happening now
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rash — a series
  18. tear — from crying
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. current — electric
  21. rash — hasty
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pit — in a race
  24. squash — the sport

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