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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bulb — for light
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. squash — to crush
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. craft — a skill
  14. race — a contest
  15. bulb — for light
  16. craft — boats
  17. deal — to handle
  18. tear — from crying
  19. race — humankind
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. deal — a big deal

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