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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. land — a country
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rule — a law
  6. rush — hurry
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. dip — to sink
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. tear — from crying
  20. land — ground
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. land — to come down
  23. rule — government
  24. dip — a sauce

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