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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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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. clip — a video
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fine — high quality
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. tear — from crying
  9. clip — for paper
  10. row — to paddle
  11. race — a contest
  12. fine — all right
  13. race — humankind
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. race — the arms race
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bear — the animal
  18. clip — to cut
  19. squash — the sport
  20. row — a line
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. squash — to crush

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