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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bear — the animal
  4. club — for golf
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. tear — to rip
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. club — a group
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. club — for dancing
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. squash — to crush
  18. chair — a leader
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bear — the animal

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