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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. last — to go on
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. suit — to fit
  5. perch — the fish
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. suit — in cards
  9. last — final
  10. object — a thing
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rock — music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. object — an aim
  16. last — finally
  17. object — to protest
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. suit — clothes
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rock — a stone
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. tear — to rip

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