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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rest — what's left
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rest — a break
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. scale — in music
  20. tear — to rip
  21. drill — army training
  22. rest — what's left
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mouse — for a computer

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