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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mark — a trace
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rest — a break
  6. suit — clothes
  7. tear — from crying
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mark — a grade
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. can — to be able to
  15. tear — to rip
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rest — what's left
  22. can — a tin
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. can — a tin

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