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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. file — a document
  3. squash — to crush
  4. spell — magic
  5. file — a tool
  6. stand — to bear
  7. can — to be able to
  8. spell — letters
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. season — of the year
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. tear — to rip
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. tear — from crying
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bear — the animal
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bear — the animal

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