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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mug — a face
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. firm — steady
  7. mug — to rob
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bark — to shout
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. tear — to rip
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. tear — from crying
  20. firm — a company
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rush — hurry
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mug — a cup

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