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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. spring — a coil
  4. tear — to rip
  5. spring — of water
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bank — of a river
  8. present — the time now
  9. suit — to fit
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. spring — the season
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — there
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. present — a gift
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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