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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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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. tear — from crying
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. tear — to rip

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