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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. object — a thing
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitch — completely
  7. object — to protest
  8. hand — help
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stock — goods
  14. squash — the sport
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. object — an aim
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. stock — shares
  24. tear — from crying

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